性格
せいかく · seikaku · JLPT N3 · noun
fictional character
性格 = nature (性) + frame (格): the frame your nature runs in
性 means inborn nature, as in 性質 (temperament). 格 means a frame or standard, as in 資格 (qualification) and 規格 (spec). Together they mean the stable frame of who you are: your personality. Sound hook: say kaku (格) and think of character.
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.'
格 — wood 木 + 各 (each, phonetic)
格 is a semantic-phonetic compound: 木 (wood) gives the meaning, originally referring to a wooden frame, lattice, or crossbar, while 各 supplies the sound. From 'frame/grid' the meaning extended to 'pattern, standard, style' and the modern senses of 'square (in a grid)' and 'character/disposition'.