nature; disposition; temperament; character
Refers to a person's inherent personality, temperament, or disposition. Often used in descriptions of someone's basic nature.
彼は穏やかな性質だ。
He has a gentle nature.
It's hard to work with someone whose temperament doesn't match yours.
quality; property; characteristic; nature
Refers to the inherent characteristics or properties of a thing, substance, or concept. Can be used in scientific contexts (e.g., chemical behavior).
We investigate the properties of this substance.
We need to understand the nature of the problem well.
He has a cautious nature.
Due to the nature of this job, there's a lot of overtime.
Water has the property of expanding in volume when it freezes.
It's important to understand the nature of chemical reactions.
This metal has a property of being heat-resistant.
性質 is the everyday word for an inherent property or characteristic of a thing, whereas 性 conveys the same idea more abstractly and appears mainly in technical compounds like 酸性.
性質 emphasizes the inherent, describable characteristics of a person or thing, while 質 more broadly points to essential nature or worth.
性質 refers to an inherent nature or property in general, while 習性 focuses on a behavioral pattern acquired through repetition or typical of a species.