Meaning
性格 refers to a person's personality or character traits—the relatively stable patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that make someone who they are. It encompasses qualities like being outgoing or shy, optimistic or pessimistic, patient or impatient.
Usage
This is a common neutral term used in everyday conversation, psychology, and formal contexts. Native speakers often use it with adjectives to describe someone's nature (开朗的性格 'cheerful personality', 内向的性格 'introverted personality'). It's frequently paired with verbs like 有 (to have), 改变 (to change), or 了解 (to understand).
Examples
- 01他性格很开朗，喜欢交朋友。, .He has a very cheerful personality and likes making friends.
- 02我们性格不合，很难一起工作。, .Our personalities don't match, so it's hard to work together.
Characters
Measure words
- 种一种性格
Common collocations
- 性格开朗cheerful personality
- 性格内向introverted personality
- 改变性格to change one's personality
- 性格温和gentle personality
Origin
性 originally meant 'nature' or 'inherent quality,' while 格 means 'pattern' or 'standard.' Together they form 'nature-pattern,' referring to the characteristic patterns of a person's nature.