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先天性 (xiān tiān xìng) — innateness; congenital nature; inborn quality

Definition

Used in technical or medical contexts to mean 'congenital / inborn' (conditions, traits). Pairs with 的 as a modifier (先天性心脏病) rather than standing alone as a noun.

noun
innatenesscongenital natureinborn quality

Examples

  • 先天性。
    Zhè zhǒng jí bìng shì xiān tiān xìng de.
    This disease is congenital.
  • 先天性。
    xiān tiān xìng Xīn zàng bìng shì kě yǐ zhì liáo de.
    Congenital heart disease is treatable.
  • 先天性。
    Zhè ge lǐ lùn rèn wéi rén de xiān tiān xìng zhī shi shì xiān tiān de.
    This theory holds that humans' innate knowledge is inborn.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

先天innate
先xiānbefore天tiānheaven
偏正Modifier + head
性xìngquality

先天 points to what exists from birth, and 性 names it as a quality.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

先 combines 止 (foot) and 儿 (person) to show someone moving forward.

Open 先 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →
Appears in
Biology

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