偶然性 (ǒu rán xìng) — contingency, randomness, the quality of being accidental or fortuitous

Definition

The noun form of 偶然 — the quality or property of being accidental rather than inevitable. Pairs philosophically with 必然性 (necessity), its conceptual opposite: things can show both at once.

noun
contingency, randomness, the quality of being accidental or fortuitous

Examples

  • 偶然性。
    Wǒ men bù néng hū shì shì jiàn de ǒu rán xìng.
    We cannot ignore the contingency of events.
  • 偶然性。
    ǒu rán xìng Hé bì rán xìng cháng cháng jiāo zhī zài yì qǐ.
    Contingency and necessity are often intertwined together.
  • ，偶然性。
    Cóng tǒng jì shàng kàn, hěn duō xiàn xiàng dōu cún zài ǒu rán xìng.
    From a statistical perspective, many phenomena involve randomness.

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.

偶然accidental
偶ǒuaccidental然ránlike
性xìngquality

偶然 describes chance, and 性 points to the quality of being that way.

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
禺
禺yú偶ǒu
Same sound today

偶 pairs 亻 (person) with 禺 for the sound. The evidence describes it as a statue of a person, an idol.

Open 偶 →

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
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
肰
肰rán然rán
Same sound today

然 is made from 肰, which gives the sound, and 火, which shows fire, matching the old sense 'to burn'.

Open 然 →

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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