Definition
素性 refers to a person's innate disposition or temperament, a more classical and literary term compared to the everyday word 性格 (xìnggé) or 本性 (běnxìng). You'll encounter it in written, formal, or historical contexts—like describing someone's natural character in a novel or essay. It is not used in casual conversation.
n.
innate dispositionnatural temperament
Examples
- 素性，。Tā sù xìng wēnhé, cóng bù yǔ rén zhēngchǎo.He has a gentle disposition and never argues with anyone.
- 素性，。Yí ge rén de sù xìng hěn nán gǎibiàn, dàn xíngwéi kěyǐ tiáozhěng.A person's innate temperament is hard to change, but behavior can be adjusted.
- 素性，。Xiǎoshuō zhǔréngōng de sù xìng gāngliè, zuìhòu xuǎnzé le zìshā.The novel's protagonist has a fiery disposition and ultimately chose suicide.
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