性せい質しつ

せ

い

し

つ

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

nature; disposition; temperament; character

Refers to a person's inherent personality, temperament, or disposition. Often used in descriptions of someone's basic nature.

彼かれは穏おだやかな性せい質しつだ。
He has a gentle nature.
性せい質しつが合あわない人ひととは、一いっ緒しょに働はたらくのが難むずかしい。
It's hard to work with someone whose temperament doesn't match yours.

noun

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).

この物ぶっ質しつの性せい質しつを調しらべる。
We investigate the properties of this substance.
問もん題だいの性せい質しつをよく理り解かいする必ひつ要ようがある。
We need to understand the nature of the problem well.

See all 180 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉は〈形けい容よう詞し〉性せい質しつだto describe a person's inherent temperament as ~
彼かれは用よう心じん深ぶかい性せい質しつだ。
He has a cautious nature.
〈物もの〉は〈形けい容よう詞し〉性せい質しつを持もつfor a thing or substance to have a certain property
この金きん属ぞくは熱ねつに強つよい性せい質しつを持もっている。
This metal has a property of being heat-resistant.
性せい質しつ上じょうby nature; inherently, due to the fundamental characteristics of something
この仕し事ごとは性せい質しつ上じょう、残ざん業ぎょうが多おおい。
Due to the nature of this job, there's a lot of overtime.
〈事こと〉という性せい質しつがあるto have the characteristic/property of doing ~
水みずは氷こおりになると体たい積せきが増ふえるという性せい質しつがある。
Water has the property of expanding in volume when it freezes.
〈事こと〉の性せい質しつを理り解かいするto understand the nature or properties of something
化か学がく反はん応のうの性せい質しつを理り解かいすることが重じゅう要ようだ。
It's important to understand the nature of chemical reactions.

Kanji

性sex, gender, nature
質substance, quality, matter

Related words· 10

性せい格かくN3sense 1
性格 focuses specifically on a person's psychological character and personality traits, while 性質 is broader and covers both a person's disposition and the inherent nature of things.
特とく性せい sense 2
特性 highlights a distinguishing, often technical, characteristic of something, whereas 性質 is the more general term for an inherent nature or property.
気き質しつN1sense 1
気質 refers to an innate, instinctive temperament (sometimes shared by a group, e.g. 職人気質), while 性質 is used more broadly for both people's dispositions and things' properties.
特とく徴ちょうN3sense 2
特徴 points to a noticeable, distinguishing feature that sets something apart, while 性質 refers to its underlying intrinsic nature or quality.

Show 6 more

体たい質しつN1
性質 is a broad term for the nature or properties of people, things, or abstract concepts, while 体質 specifically refers to an inherent physical or organizational predisposition.
属ぞく性せい
性質 refers to the inherent nature or disposition of something, often for abstract qualities, while 属性 is a broader term covering technical, gaming, and general attributes.
性せい向こう
性質 covers the general 'nature' or 'property' of a person or object, whereas 性向 focuses narrowly on behavioral or psychological inclination.
性しょうN1
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.
質しつN3
性質 emphasizes the inherent, describable characteristics of a person or thing, while 質 more broadly points to essential nature or worth.
習しゅう性せい
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.

Don't confuse with

品ひん性せい
性質 means the inherent nature or tendency of a person or thing (morally neutral), unlike 品性 which specifically judges moral character.
品ひん質しつN2
性質 means the inherent nature or character of something (e.g. a person's disposition), while 品質 specifically means the quality grade of a product.

Word family

化か学がく的てき性せい質しつ
chemical property

Etymology

Compound of 性 (nature, character) and 質 (substance, quality). The combination has been used since classical Chinese to mean 'inherent nature or quality'.