精神性 (jīng shén xìng) — spirituality, spiritual nature; mental or psychic nature, mentality; (psychology/medicine) psychogenic nature, origin in the mind

Definition

Noun built from 精神 ("spirit/mind") + -性, meaning 'spiritual or psychogenic nature.' Most often used in academic or clinical writing to contrast a mental/spiritual origin with a purely physical one.

noun
spiritualityspiritual naturemental or psychic naturementality(psychology/medicine) psychogenic natureorigin in the mind

Examples

  • 精神性，。
    Xiàn dài rén yuè lái yuè guān zhù jīng shén xìng, ér bù jǐn jǐn shì wù zhì shēng huó.
    Modern people are increasingly concerned with spirituality, not just material life.
  • 精神性，。
    Zhè ge jí bìng de jīng shén xìng hěn míng xiǎn, huàn zhě xū yào xīn lǐ zhì liáo.
    The psychogenic nature of this disease is clear; the patient needs psychological therapy.
  • 精神性。
    Bù tóng wén huà duì jīng shén xìng de lǐ jiě chā yì hěn dà.
    Different cultures vary greatly in their understanding of spirituality.

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.

精神spirit; mental state
精jīngessence神shénspirit
联合Side by side
性xìngnature; quality

精神 means spirit or mental state, and 性 denotes nature or quality, giving spirituality or mental nature.

Characters in this word

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng精jīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

精 pairs 米 (rice) with 青, which gives the sound; the character originally meant polished rice.

Open 精 →

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
示示shìgod; deity
Sound part声符shēngfú
申
申shēn神shén
Same sound today

The older form 申 drew lightning, which the ancients regarded as divine; 神 adds 示 (god/deity) to mark that meaning.

Open 神 →

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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