危害性 (wēi hài xìng) — harmfulness, danger, perniciousness

Definition

A nominalized abstract noun for 'the harmful/dangerous nature' of something — a thing's capacity to cause harm, not harm itself. Pairs with verbs like 认识 or 忽视 to mean 'recognize/ignore the danger of…'.

noun
harmfulnessdangerperniciousness

Examples

  • 危害性，。
    Xī yān de wēi hài xìng hěn dà, huì yǐng xiǎng jiàn kāng.
    The harmfulness of smoking is great; it can affect your health.
  • 危害性。
    Wǒ men yīng gāi rèn shi kōng qì wū rǎn de wēi hài xìng.
    We should recognize the danger of air pollution.
  • 危害性。
    Wǎng luò yáo yán de wēi hài xìng bù róng hū shì.
    The perniciousness of online rumors cannot be ignored.

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.

危害danger or harm
危wēidanger害hàiharm
联合Side by side
性xìngness

危害 supplies danger and harm, and 性 gives the sense of a quality, producing harmfulness.

Characters in this word

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

  • 厃厃wěiperson on a cliff or mountain
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

危 is built from 厃, showing a person on a cliff or mountain, and 卩, showing a kneeling person.

Open 危 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丯
丯jiè害hài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

害 was borrowed purely for its sound. Its old picture, possibly a house rafter, is unrelated to harm.

Open 害 →

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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