属性

• Pinyin: shǔ xìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 属 = 尸 + 禹 (body radical + a figure — to belong to; a category); 性 = 忄 + 生 (heart radical + life — nature; inherent property)

Meaning

Attribute; property; characteristic. An inherent quality or defining feature of something.

Used across philosophy (essential properties), computing (object attributes, database columns), law (commercial vs. non-commercial attributes), and science (physical properties). 基本属性 (fundamental attribute), 自然属性 (natural property), 商业属性 (commercial attribute).

Examples

1. 在面向对象编程范式中，类的属性定义了对象的内部状态，方法则封装了对象的行为逻辑，两者共同构成了软件系统模块化设计的基本单元。 In object-oriented programming, a class’s attributes define an object’s internal state, while methods encapsulate its behavioral logic; together they form the basic unit of modular software design.
2. 哲学本体论常争论：物体的属性是客观内在特质，还是只在与认知主体关系中显现？ Ontology in philosophy often debates whether an object’s properties are objectively inherent, or whether they appear only in relation to a knowing subject.
3. 监管机构认定平台是否具有支付属性时，需综合审查技术功能、用户规模、资金流量和风险。 When determining whether a platform has payment-like attributes, regulators must assess its technical functions, user base, volume of fund flows, and risks in a comprehensive way.

Usage Guide

Context: computing, philosophy, law, science, regulation

Tone: analytical

Do Say

• 数据库表设计中，正确识别和定义实体核心属性，是保证数据完整性和查询效率的前提。(In database table design, correctly identifying and defining an entity's core attributes is the premise for ensuring data integrity and query efficiency.)
• 法院判断某行为是否具有商业属性时，通常会综合考虑营利目的、交易对象身份和市场普遍性。(When judges determine whether an act has commercial attributes, they usually consider the profit motive, the identity of the counterparty, and how common it is in the market.)

Don't Say

• 属性 in place of 性质 or 性格 when describing a person's character or temperament — 属性 is primarily used for objects, entities, and data in technical, philosophical, and legal contexts, and applying it to human personality may sound awkward or overly mechanical

Origin & History

属 (to belong to; category — 尸 body radical + 禹 a figure) + 性 (nature; property — 忄heart radical + 生 life)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal