Meaning of 性
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- nature
- character
- property
- quality
- attribute
- sexuality
- sex
- gender
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 性
性 often works like the English suffix "-ness" or "-ity", turning a word into a quality, as in 积极性 (jījíxìng, initiative) or 重要性 (zhòngyàoxìng, importance). It also appears in words about personality and gender, such as 性格 (xìnggé) and 女性 (nǚxìng). Example: 他的性格很好。(Tā de xìnggé hěn hǎo.) He has a good personality.
性 is built from the heart radical 忄 on the left and 生 (shēng, to be born) on the right. What you are born with in your heart is your nature, your inborn character.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 性 with 姓 (xìng, surname), which sounds the same but uses the woman radical 女 instead of the heart radical 忄. Writing 你性什么 instead of 你姓什么 (What is your surname?) is a very common error.
性 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
性 xìng · nature · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 性.
| 性格 | xìnggé | nature; disposition |
| 个性 | gèxìng | individuality; personality |
| 性别 | xìngbié | sex; gender |
| 积极性 | jījíxìng | zeal; initiative |
| 性质 | xìngzhì | nature; characteristic |
| 女性 | nǚxìng | woman; the female sex |
| 男性 | nánxìng | the male sex; a male |
| 特性 | tèxìng | property; characteristic |
| 性能 | xìngnéng | function; performance; behavior |
| 一次性 | yīcìxìng | one-off (offer); one-time |
| 性命 | xìngmìng | life |
| 人性 | rénxìng | human nature; humanity |
Questions about 性
What does 性 mean?
性 (xìng) means "nature; character" and is used as a suffix.
How do you write 性?
性 is made of 1 character: 性 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 性 an HSK word?
Yes. 性 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 性格 and 个性?
性格 (xìnggé) describes someone's general temperament, like outgoing or quiet. 个性 (gèxìng) stresses what makes a person unique or distinctive, so 很有个性 means someone has a strong, individual style.
Is 性 a sensitive word to use?
On its own, 性 can mean sex, so words like 性生活 are about sexual topics. In most compounds, such as 性别 (gender) or 可能性 (possibility), it is completely neutral and used in everyday speech.