TongTong
Sign in

性子 (xìng zi) — (of a person) temperament, disposition; (of alcohol, medicine, etc.) strength, potency

Definition

性子 means a person's temperament, especially the kind that shows in how they react (e.g. 性子急 'impatient by nature'). The same word also refers to the strength or kick of alcohol or medicine.

noun
(of a person) temperamentdisposition(of alcohol, medicine, etc.) strengthpotency

Examples

  • 性子，。
    Tā xìng zi jí, zuò shén me dōu kuài.
    He is impatient by nature and does everything quickly.
  • 性子，。
    Zhè zhǒng jiǔ de xìng zi hěn liè, shǎo hē diǎn r.
    This liquor is very strong; drink only a little.
  • 性子，。
    Tā xìng zi wēn hé, cóng bù fā huǒ.
    She has a mild disposition and never loses her temper.

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.

性xìngnature
子zǐ

'性' means nature or disposition, and with '子' it names temperament.

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
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 →

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
Personality & Traits

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.