温い
ぬるい
i-adjective
lukewarm, tepid
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 温い | 温くない |
| Past | 温かった | 温くなかった |
| て form | 温くて | 温くなくて |
| Adverbial | 温く | — |
| Conditional ば | 温ければ | 温くなければ |
| Conditional たら | 温かったら | 温くなかったら |
1.
lukewarm, tepid
Neither hot nor cold; moderately warm.
お風呂が温い。
The bath is lukewarm.
コーヒーが温くなった。
The coffee has become lukewarm.
温いお湯で手を洗った。
I washed my hands with lukewarm water.
このスープは温くて、あまりおいしくない。
This soup is lukewarm and doesn't taste very good.
夏は水も温くなるから、冷蔵庫に入れておいた方がいい。
In summer, water gets lukewarm too, so it's better to keep it in the fridge.
温い is an i-adjective meaning lukewarm or tepid. It usually carries a slightly negative nuance — something that should be hot (or cold) but isn't.
FORMS:
- Adverbial: 温く (温くなる — to become lukewarm)
- Past: 温かった
TEMPERATURE SCALE:
- 熱い: hot (for objects/liquids)
- 暖かい/温かい: warm (pleasant)
- 温い: lukewarm (often unpleasant)
- 冷たい: cold
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 温いお湯: lukewarm water
- 温い風呂: lukewarm bath
- 温くなる: to become lukewarm
FIGURATIVE USE:
Can describe a half-hearted or lenient attitude: 温い対応 (slack response), 温い考え (soft thinking). This is always negative.