生まれつき
うまれつき · umaretsuki · JLPT N1 · adverb
by nature
🌱 生まれ (birth) + つき (attached, from 付く) = a trait attached since birth: by nature
つき comes from the verb 付く, meaning to attach. Together with 生まれ (birth), the word describes a trait attached from the moment of birth, which is why it covers both 'by nature' and 'native'.
生 — sprout 屮 above earth 土
Originally a pictograph showing a young plant sprouting from the ground, with 屮 (a sprout) above 土 (earth). The core meaning is 'to be born, to grow, to live,' which extends to 'raw, unripe, unfamiliar.' The modern form has simplified the sprout shape but preserves the image of new growth emerging from soil.