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习性 (xí xìng) — habit, characteristic (of behavior)

Definition

习性 refers to habitual patterns or inborn behavioral traits of a living thing (animals, plants, even people). Stronger and more fixed than the everyday 习惯, often describing species-typical behavior rather than personal quirks.

noun
habitcharacteristic (of behavior)

Examples

  • 习性，。
    Zhè zhǒng niǎo de xí xìng hěn tè bié, xǐ huan zài wǎn shàng huó dòng.
    This kind of bird has special habits; it likes to be active at night.
  • 习性。
    Zhí wù de xí xìng huì shòu dào huán jìng de yǐng xiǎng.
    The habits of plants are affected by the environment.
  • 习性。
    Měi gè rén dōu yǒu bù tóng de shēng huó xí xìng.
    Everyone has different living habits.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

习xíhabit
性xìngcharacteristic

习 means habit and 性 means characteristic, together naming habitual traits.

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 習; 习 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 習 pairs 羽 (wings) with 日 (sun), showing a bird learning to fly; the simplified 习 is a later shorthand.

Open 习 →

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
Personality & Traits

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