质地 (zhì dì) — (of material) texture, grain, feel; (extended) inherent quality, character, disposition

Definition

质地 covers both the literal feel of a material (smooth, fine, coarse — like silk or marble) and, by extension, the inherent quality of a person. For food's 'mouthfeel' use 口感; for 'mass' in physics use 质量.

noun
(of material) texturegrainfeel(extended) inherent qualitycharacterdisposition

Examples

  • 质地。
    Zhè zhǒng sī chóu de zhì dì fēi cháng róu ruǎn guāng huá.
    This kind of silk has a very soft and smooth texture.
  • 质地，。
    Zhè kuài dà lǐ shí de zhì dì hěn xì nì, shì hé zuò diāo sù.
    This piece of marble has a fine texture, suitable for sculpture.
  • ，质地。
    Tā shēng xìng chún hòu, zhì dì jí jiā.
    He is naturally honest and has an excellent character.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

质zhìsubstance
地dìbase

质 points to substance or material, 地 to its base or grain, together naming texture or inherent quality.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 質; 质 is its simplified writing.

  • 斦斦yín
  • 貝貝bèi

The traditional form 質 is made up of 貝 and 斦; this describes 質, not the simplified 质.

Open 质 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Texture & Quality

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