苛か性せい

か

せ

い

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

caustic

Technical term used in chemistry to describe substances that can burn or corrode organic tissue. Often appears in compound terms like 苛性ソーダ (caustic soda).

苛か性せいソーダは強きょう力りょくなアルカリです。
Caustic soda is a strong alkali.
この薬やく品ひんは苛か性せいがあるので、取とり扱あつかいに注ちゅう意いしてください。
This chemical is caustic, so please handle it with care.

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Kanji

苛torment, scold, chastise
性sex, gender, nature

Related words

腐ふ食しょく性せい
腐食性 (corrosive) emphasizes the ability to destroy materials gradually, while 苛性 (caustic) specifically refers to burning or corroding organic tissue.

Word family

苛か性せいソーダ
caustic soda; sodium hydroxide
苛か性せいカリ
caustic potash; potassium hydroxide
苛か性せいアルカリ
caustic alkali; lye

Written forms

苛か性せいUsage77%
Standard kanji form used in technical contexts such as chemistry.
かせいUsage20%
カセイUsage2%

Etymology

The kanji 苛 means 'torment' or 'severe', and 性 means 'nature' or 'property', together forming the concept of a harsh, burning quality. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is used in modern Japanese as a direct translation of the English 'caustic' in scientific contexts.