noun HSK 5
ĕ
instinct · innate ability · natural impulse
Meaning
本能 refers to innate, automatic behavioral responses or abilities that living beings possess without needing to learn them. It encompasses natural impulses, reflexes, and tendencies that are biologically programmed, such as a baby's sucking reflex or an animal's mating behaviors.
Usage
Commonly used in psychological, biological, and everyday contexts to describe natural, unlearned behaviors. Often appears in phrases like 生存本能 (survival instinct) or 母性本能 (maternal instinct). Can also be used metaphorically to describe someone's natural talent or gut feeling about something.
Examples
- 01保护孩子是每个母亲的本能。.Protecting children is every mother's instinct.
- 02他本能地躲开了飞来的球。.He instinctively dodged the flying ball.
Characters
Measure words
- 种一种本能
Common collocations
- 生存本能survival instinct
- 母性本能maternal instinct
- 本能反应instinctive reaction
- 动物本能animal instinct
Antonyms
Origin
The combination literally means 'original ability' or 'fundamental capacity,' reflecting abilities that exist from the beginning of life without learning.