性 (xìng) - nature & character

性Tone 4

xìng ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 忄

信嫣

性 · xìng

nature;

character;

disposition;

gender;

property;

quality;

-ness (suffix forming abstract nouns)

naturecharacterdisposition

Usage highlights

naturepersonalitygendertemperamentqualitysexuality

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 情— emotion (contrasted with inherent nature in some philosophical contexts)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Human nature (人性) is complex.
  • She has a gentle personality (性格).
  • Gender equality (性别平等) is important.
  • This is a chemical property (性质).

Collocations

  • nature(本性)
  • personality(性格)
  • gender(性别)
  • temperament(性情)
  • quality(性质)
  • sexuality(性行为)

Idioms

  • Human nature is fundamentally good(人之初，性本善)
  • Follow one's inclinations(任性)
  • Destroy one's original nature(灭性)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Confucian philosophy, human nature (性) was debated—Mencius argued it is inherently good, while Xunzi considered it inherently evil.
  • Used in Buddhist contexts to refer to the intrinsic nature of reality or Buddha-nature (佛性).
  • In modern contexts, it is central to discussions of gender (性别) and sexuality.

FAQ