温(あたた)かい

あたたかい
i-adjective
warm (food, drink, feelings)
descriptiveemotion
See also: 暖(あたた)かい (warm (weather))
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present温(あたた)かい温(あたた)かくない
Past温(あたた)かかった温(あたた)かくなかった
て form温(あたた)かくて温(あたた)かくなくて
Adverbial温(あたた)かく—
Conditional ば温(あたた)かければ温(あたた)かくなければ
Conditional たら温(あたた)かかったら温(あたた)かくなかったら
1. warm (food, drink, objects)
Pleasantly warm to the touch or in temperature, especially for food, beverages, and objects. Distinguished from 暖(あたた)かい, which is used for air temperature and climate.
温(あたた)かいお茶(ちゃ)をどうぞ。
Please have some warm tea.
温(あたた)かいスープが体(からだ)にしみる。
The warm soup warms me to the core.
寒(さむ)い日(ひ)には温(あたた)かい料理(りょうり)が恋(こい)しくなる。
On cold days, I crave warm food.
2. warm, kind, warm-hearted
Having a kind, caring, and gentle quality. Used to describe people, words, and gestures that convey warmth and compassion.
温(あたた)かい言葉(ことば)をかける。
To offer warm words.
温(あたた)かい人柄(ひとがら)で皆(みな)に好(す)かれている。
Liked by everyone for their warm personality.
近所(きんじょ)の人(ひと)たちの温(あたた)かい支援(しえん)のおかげで、困難(こんなん)を乗(の)り越(こ)えることができた。
Thanks to the warm support of the neighbors, I was able to overcome the difficulty.

Writing

温(あたた)かい vs. 暖(あたた)かい — both are read あたたかい but use different kanji:

  • 温(あたた)かい (温(おん)): warmth of objects, food, drink, water, and figurative warmth (kindness)
  • 暖(あたた)かい (暖(だん)): warmth of air, weather, climate, and rooms

The distinction is not always strictly observed, and many writers use them interchangeably. However, the general guideline is: 温(あたた)かい for things you touch or taste, 暖(あたた)かい for ambient temperature.

Common collocations

Related Words

Compare: 暖(あたた)かい (warm (weather/climate))
Antonym: 冷(つめ)たい (cold (to the touch))
Antonym: 熱(あつ)い (hot (to the touch))
Compare: ほのぼの (heartwarming, cozy, warm)
Compare: 温(ぬる)い (lukewarm, tepid)
general
Added 2026.2.24 20:13 · Revised 2026.10.10 4:21
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