Meaning of 素质
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- inner quality
- basic essence
How to use 素质
素质 describes a person's overall qualities, such as education, manners, and character, and is often used in social comments. People also say 高素质 (gāo sùzhì) for well-educated or well-mannered people. Example: 这个人素质很高。(Zhège rén sùzhì hěn gāo.) This person is very well-mannered and cultivated.
素 (sù) means plain or basic, and 质 (zhì) means quality or substance. Together 素质 is your basic, plain quality underneath everything else.
Common mistake: Learners often use 素质 for the quality of products, but that is 质量 (zhìliàng), as in 质量很好 for good product quality. 素质 is mainly for people or groups.
素质 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.
素 sù · raw silk · 10 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
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- 10
质 zhì · essence · 8 strokes
- 1
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- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 素质.
| 质量 | zhìliàng | (physics) mass; quality (i.e. degree of excellence) |
| 品质 | pǐnzhì | character; intrinsic quality (of a person) |
| 性质 | xìngzhì | nature; characteristic |
| 物质 | wùzhì | matter; substance |
| 因素 | yīnsù | element; factor |
| 元素 | yuánsù | element (key component of sth); (chemistry) element |
| 本质 | běnzhì | essence; nature |
| 维生素 | wéishēngsù | vitamin |
| 要素 | yàosù | essential factor; key constituent |
| 优质 | yōuzhì | excellent quality |
| 人质 | rénzhì | hostage |
| 质疑 | zhìyí | to call into question; to challenge (the truth or validity of) |
Questions about 素质
What does 素质 mean?
素质 (sùzhì) means "inner quality; basic essence" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 素质?
素质 is made of 2 characters: 素 (10 strokes), 质 (8 strokes). That is 18 strokes in total.
Is 素质 an HSK word?
Yes. 素质 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 素质 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 素质 is written 素質.
What does 没素质 mean?
没素质 (méi sùzhì) is a common criticism meaning someone has bad manners or behaves rudely in public, like cutting in line or littering. It can sound harsh, so use it carefully.
How is 素质 different from 品质?
品质 (pǐnzhì) focuses on moral character, such as honesty. 素质 is broader and covers education, abilities, and manners, as in 身体素质 (shēntǐ sùzhì), physical fitness.