Chinese word

本能

Pronunciation

Pinyinběn néng

Meaning

nouninstinct

Example

在危险时，本能会让人先逃走。zài wēi xiǎn shí běn néng huì ràng rén xiān táo zǒu

In danger, instinct makes people run away first.

More examples

面对诱惑，他努力抑制本能，做出理性的选择。miàn duì yòu huò tā nǔ lì yì zhì běn néng zuò chū lǐ xìng de xuǎn zé

Faced with temptation, he worked hard to suppress his instinct and make a rational choice.

Core concept

A natural first reaction, rooted in the body or mind, that appears without deliberate thought.

Common phrases

抑制本能yì zhì běn néng
suppress instinct
发挥本能fā huī běn néng
use instinct
对本能的理解duì běn néng de lí jiě
understanding of instinct

Similar words

直觉zhí jué: An immediate sense of what is true or right without conscious analysis.
本性běn xìng: The natural character and inner tendencies a person is born with.
反射fǎn shè: A body's swift, automatic response to a physical trigger.

Definition in Chinese

与生俱来、不经过学习或思考而自然出现的行为倾向或反应。yǔ shēng jù lái bù jīng guò xué xí huò sī kǎo ér zì rán chū xiàn de xíng wéi qīng xiàng huò fǎn yìng

Word origin

本 (běn, "root") + 能 (néng, "ability") combines the ideas of a fundamental source and a natural capacity.

Usage tips

In English, instinct can also mean a hunch or intuitive judgment, while this Chinese word most clearly fits an automatic, unlearned reaction.

Opposites

理性lǐ xìngreasonnoun

Related words

本能的běn néng deinstinctiveadjective