性 (indicating a characteristic)

• 拼音: xìng
• 结构: Adjective/Verb + 性
• 汉字拆解: 性 = 忄(heart/mind) + 生 (life/birth), meaning innate nature

含义

性 (xìng) is a suffix added to words to indicate a characteristic, quality, or nature. It transforms adjectives, verbs, and nouns into abstract nouns describing properties or tendencies, similar to English suffixes '-ity,' '-ness,' or '-ability.'

性 is one of the most productive suffixes in modern Chinese, used extensively in formal, academic, and technical writing. Common formations include: 重要性 (importance), 可能性 (possibility), 创造性 (creativity), 安全性 (safety). It can attach to adjectives (重要 → 重要性), verbs (可能 → 可能性), and even verb-object compounds. Unlike the suffix 化 which indicates a process of change, 性 describes an inherent quality or characteristic. In formal writing, 性 words often serve as subjects or objects in analytical statements. Overuse in casual speech can sound overly academic or bureaucratic.

例句

1. 这项技术的安全性还需要进一步验证。
2. 我们必须考虑到这个方案的可行性。
3. 他的发言很有针对性，直接指出了问题所在。

用法指南

语境: written, academic, formal speech

语气: analytical

正确说法

• 这个实验的结果具有很强的代表性。
• 网络安全的重要性越来越被大家认识到。
• 他的建议非常有建设性。

错误说法

• 今天的天气性很好。(性 cannot be added to nouns that are already concrete — 天气 is not a quality or characteristic) → 今天的天气很好。
• 他吃饭性很快。(性 creates abstract nouns, not adverbs — it cannot modify how an action is performed) → 他吃饭吃得很快。

起源与历史

性 originally meant 'nature' or 'innate character' in Classical Chinese philosophy, particularly in Confucian discussions about human nature (人性). Its modern grammatical use as a suffix creating abstract nouns developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, partly influenced by Japanese kanji compounds.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal