奴性 (nú xìng) — servile mentality; submissive nature (pejorative)

Definition

A pejorative noun for a servile, submissive mindset — blind obedience to authority without independent thought. Used in writing or critical speech to condemn this attitude, not in casual conversation.

noun
servile mentalitysubmissive nature (pejorative)

Examples

  • ，奴性。
    Yí gè rén ruò quán wú zhǔ jiàn, jiù nán miǎn yǒu nú xìng.
    If a person has no opinions of their own, they can hardly avoid a servile mentality.
  • 奴性。
    Nà ge gù shi pī pàn de shì fēng jiàn shè huì de nú xìng.
    That story criticizes the submissive mentality of feudal society.
  • 奴性。
    Zhēn zhèng de dú lì rén gé jiù shì jù jué nú xìng.
    True independent character means rejecting a servile nature.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

奴núslave
性xìngnature

奴, slave, specifies 性, nature, giving a servile nature.

Characters in this word

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

奴 shows 又 (a hand) and 女 (a woman): a hand capturing and ordering a woman around.

Open 奴 →

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 →

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