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两面性 (liǎng miàn xìng) — dual nature; two-sidedness (of a person, issue, or thing, often with contradictory aspects)

Definition

A noun for the 'dual nature' or 'two-sidedness' of a person or issue — useful when arguing that something has contradictory aspects (good and bad, surface and inner). It names the property itself, not one side.

noun
dual naturetwo-sidedness (of a person, issue, or thing, often with contradictory aspects)

Examples

  • 两面性。
    Kàn wèn tí yào zhù yì tā de liǎng miàn xìng.
    When looking at an issue, you need to pay attention to its two-sidedness.
  • 两面性，，。
    Zhè ge rén yǒu liǎng miàn xìng, biǎo miàn yǒu hǎo, nèi xīn zì sī.
    This person has a dual nature — friendly on the surface, selfish at heart.
  • 两面性，。
    Rèn hé shì wù dōu yǒu liǎng miàn xìng, bù néng zhī kàn yí miàn.
    Everything has two sides; you can't just look at one aspect.

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.

两面two sides
两liǎngtwo面miànside
偏正Modifier + head
性xìngnature

两面 means 'two sides', and 性 adds a sense of nature, giving dual nature.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 兩; 两 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 兩 is described as combining 一 and 㒳. The simplified 两 is a later abbreviation.

Open 两 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

面 originally drew a man’s face, with one eye exaggerated; the horizontal stroke was added later.

Open 面 →

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
Abstract Concepts

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