性情
xìngqíng · HSK 7
constitution
性 nature + 情 feeling = your temperament, your disposition
性 carries the sense of inborn nature; 情 carries feeling or emotion. Combined, 性情 names the blend of nature and feeling that makes up someone's temperament or disposition. xìngqíng also chimes with the English shing-ching beat.
性 — heart radical 忄 + 生 (life/birth)
性 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The heart radical 忄 supplies the meaning, pointing to inner feelings or innate qualities, while 生 ('birth, life') gives the sound and hints at what one is born with. It originally meant 'inborn nature' and later extended to 'character,' 'gender,' and 'sex.'
情 — heart radical 忄 + 青 (qīng)
A semantic-phonetic compound. The heart radical 忄 signals that the meaning involves feelings or inner states, while 青 supplies the sound 'qing'. Originally referring to genuine feelings or emotion arising from the heart, 情 expanded to cover sentiment, affection, and circumstances or situations more broadly.