遗传性 (yí chuán xìng) — genetic; hereditary

Definition

adjective
genetichereditary

Examples

  • 遗传性。
    Zhè zhǒng jí bìng jù yǒu yí chuán xìng qīng xiàng.
    This disease has a genetic predisposition.
  • 遗传性。
    yí chuán xìng Yīn sù zài tā de jiàn kāng wèn tí zhōng qǐ le zhòng yào zuò yòng.
    Genetic factors played an important role in his health problems.
  • 遗传性。
    Tā de jiā zú yǒu yí chuán xìng xīn zàng bìng shǐ.
    His family has a history of hereditary heart disease.

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.

遗传inheritance
遗yíleave behind传chuántransmit
联合Side by side
性xìngnature

遗传 means passing traits from one generation to the next, and 性 gives the sense of a property.

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 遺; 遗 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòmove
Sound part声符shēngfú
貴
貴guì遺yí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 遺 pairs 辶 (move) with 貴 as a sound part; the simplified 遗 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 遗 →

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 傳; 传 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān傳chuán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傳 puts 人 (man) beside 專, which gives the sound; the simplified 传 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 传 →

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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