Chinese word

惯性

Pronunciation

Pinyinguàn xìng

Meaning

  • nouninertia

Example

很多行为只是出于惯性，没有深思熟虑。hěn duō xíng wéi zhǐ shì chū yú guàn xìng méi yǒu shēn sī shú lǜ

Many behaviors are simply due to inertia, without careful thought.

Illustration for 惯性 (inertia)

More examples

自行车停下后，车轮由于惯性会继续转动一段时间。zì xíng chē tíng xià hòu chē lún yóu yú guàn xìng huì jì xù zhuǎn dòng yí duàn shí jiān

After the bicycle stops, its wheels continue to turn for a while due to inertia.

Core concept

Continuation comes more easily than change: a routine, thought, or physical state carries on once it is established.

Common phrases

  • 出于惯性chū yú guàn xìng

    due to inertia

  • 物体的惯性wù tǐ de guàn xìng

    an object's inertia

  • 惯性力guàn xìng lì

    inertial force

Similar words

惰性duò xìng: The tendency to keep things as they are by avoiding effort and change.
习惯xí guàn: A repeated behavior or method that feels natural and automatic.
习性xí xìng: A lasting pattern of behavior shaped by nature or many years of experience.
惯例guàn lì: A customary way of doing things fixed by long use in a society or organization.

Definition in Chinese

表示人在行为或思维上按既有模式持续下去的倾向；在力学中专指物体保持运动或静止状态不变的性质。biǎo shì rén zài xíng wèi huò sī wéi shàng àn jì yǒu mó shì chí xù xià qù de qīng xiàng zài lì xué zhōng zhuān zhǐ wù tǐ bǎo chí yùn dòng huò jìng zhǐ zhuàng tài bú biàn de xìng zhì

Word origin

惯 (guàn, "be accustomed to") + 性 (xìng, "quality") turns the idea of being accustomed into a named quality that can belong to both human conduct and physical matter.

Usage tips

  • The surrounding subject usually identifies the sense: people, decisions, and ways of thinking signal everyday usage, while objects, motion, and rest signal the physics usage.

Opposites

  • 灵活性líng huó xìngflexibilitynoun
  • 能动性néng dòng xìnginitiativenoun

Related words

  • 惯性定律guàn xìng dìng lǜlaw of inertianoun
  • 惯性现象guàn xìng xiàn xiànginertial phenomenonnoun

Word lists with this word