属性 (shǔ xìng) — Chinese Word

noun HSK 5

Traditional 屬性

shǔ xìng

attribute · property · characteristic

Meaning

属性 refers to the inherent qualities, characteristics, or properties that define or describe something. It's commonly used in technical, academic, and gaming contexts to discuss the defining features of objects, concepts, or entities.

Usage

This word is widely used in computer science (file attributes), philosophy (essential properties), gaming (character attributes like strength or intelligence), and general academic discourse. It's more formal than everyday synonyms like 特点 and often implies intrinsic or technical characteristics rather than superficial features.

Examples

01
这个游戏角色有五种属性：力量、速度、智力、体力和魅力。
Zhè ge yóu xì jué sè yǒu wǔ zhǒng shǔ xìng: lì liàng, sù dù, zhì lì, tǐ lì hé mèi lì.
This game character has five attributes: strength, speed, intelligence, stamina, and charisma.
02
你可以在电脑上查看文件的属性，包括大小和创建日期。
Nǐ kě yǐ zài diàn nǎo shàng chá kàn wén jiàn de shǔ xìng, bāo kuò dà xiǎo hé chuàng jiàn rì qī.
You can view the file's properties on the computer, including size and creation date.

Characters

Measure words

个gè一个属性
种zhǒng几种属性

Common collocations

物理属性
wù lǐ shǔ xìng
physical properties
文件属性
wén jiàn shǔ xìng
file attributes
化学属性
huà xué shǔ xìng
chemical properties
角色属性
jué sè shǔ xìng
character attributes (in games)

Origin

The word combines 属 (to belong to, category) and 性 (nature, quality), literally meaning 'categorical nature' or 'the nature that belongs to something.' This structure is typical for abstract nouns in modern Chinese describing inherent qualities.