物性 (wù xìng) — physical or chemical properties (of a substance or material); material properties

Definition

A technical term for the physical or chemical properties of a material — what a substance is like, not what it looks like. Used in science, engineering, and materials contexts.

noun
physical or chemical properties (of a substance or material)material properties
Easily confused

Examples

  • 物性。
    Zhè zhǒng cái liào de wù xìng fēi cháng wěn dìng.
    The properties of this material are very stable.
  • 物性。
    Wǒ men xū yào cè shì tā de wù xìng.
    We need to test its properties.
  • 物性。
    Bù tóng jīn shǔ de wù xìng chā yì hěn dà.
    The properties of different metals vary greatly.

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.

物wùmatter
性xìngnature

物性 pairs 物 and 性 to mean the nature or properties of matter.

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
牛牛niú
Sound part声符shēngfú
勿
勿wù物wù
Same sound today

物 puts 牛 beside 勿: 牛 gives the meaning, and 勿 gives the sound.

Open 物 →

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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