性能

• Pinyin: xìng néng
• Hanzi breakdown: 性 = 忄 (heart) + 生 (life), meaning nature; 能 = depicting a bear, extended to mean ability

Meaning

Performance; capability; function. The ability of a machine or system to perform its intended tasks.

Technical term used for machines, electronics, vehicles, and software. Describes how well something performs its function. Common collocations include 高性能 (high performance), 性能测试 (performance testing), and 性价比 (price-performance ratio).

Examples

1. 这款手机的性能很强，运行速度很快。 This phone has very strong performance and runs very fast.
2. 我们需要对新产品进行性能测试。 We need to perform performance testing on the new product.
3. 这辆车的性能超出了我的预期。 This car's performance exceeded my expectations.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, products

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 这台电脑的性能怎么样？(How is this computer's performance?)
• 性能好的产品价格也贵。(Products with good performance are also expensive.)

Don't Say

• 他的性能很好 (性能 is for machines/products, not people — use 能力 or 表现 for human performance)

Origin & History

Compound of 性 (nature, quality) and 能 (ability), meaning inherent capability.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal