好性 (hǎo xìng) — good nature, amiability

Definition

好性 (hǎoxìng) means 'good nature' — a calm, easy-going temperament that people are naturally drawn to. At HSK 7 it is a literary/abstract noun, not used for everyday small talk.

noun
good natureamiability
Easily confused

Examples

  • 好性。
    Tā de hǎo xìng ràng suǒ yǒu rén dōu xǐ huan tā.
    His good nature makes everyone like him.
  • 好性。
    Tā yīn wèi hǎo xìng jiāo le hěn duō péng you.
    Because of her amiability, she has made many friends.
  • 好性。
    hǎo xìng Shì yì zhǒng nán dé de yōu diǎn.
    Good nature is a rare virtue.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

好hǎogood
性xìngnature

好性 means a 性 (nature) that is 好 (good).

Characters in this word

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

好 joins 女 (woman) and 子 (child), understood as a woman with a child, linked to goodness or affection.

Open 好 →

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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