惯性 (guàn xìng) — (physics) inertia; (figurative) force of habit;…

Definition

A noun covering two senses: the physics concept of inertia, and figuratively a 'force of habit' — the tendency to keep doing things the usual way.

noun

(physics) inertia(figurative) force of habittendency to do things in the accustomed way

惯性，。
Yóu yú guàn xìng, qì chē jí shā chē shí chéng kè huì xiàng qián dǎo.
Due to inertia, passengers fall forward when the car brakes suddenly.
，惯性。
Tā měi tiān zǒu tóng yì tiáo lù shang bān, wán quán shì guàn xìng.
He walks the same road to work every day; it's purely force of habit.
惯性。
Gǎi biàn jiù guàn xìng xū yào shí jiān hé jué xīn.
Changing old habits requires time and determination.

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.

惯guànaccustomed

惯 (accustomed) plus 性 (property) gives the idea of a habitual tendency.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 慣; 惯 is its simplified writing.

忄貫慣

Meaning part形符xíngfú

忄Written in full as心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

貫

貫guàn慣guàn

Same sound today

The traditional form 慣 shows 忄 (heart) beside 貫, which gives the sound; the simplified 惯 is a shorthand. Habit is what one does by heart.

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

忄生性

Meaning part形符xíngfú

忄Written in full as心xīnheart

Sound part声符shēngfú

生

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.

Appears in