Chinese word

脾气

Pronunciation

Pinyinpí qì

Meaning

  • nountemper

Example

他的脾气很直，有话就说。tā de pí qì hěn zhí yǒu huà jiù shuō

He is straightforward by nature and says what he thinks.

Illustration for 脾气 (temper)

More examples

她对孩子很有耐心，从不发脾气。tā duì hái zi hěn yǒu nài xīn cóng bù fā pí qì

She is very patient with children and never loses her temper.

Core concept

A person's usual emotional disposition, including how quickly feelings show in a particular moment.

Common phrases

  • 发脾气fā pí qì

    lose one's temper

  • 脾气暴躁pí qì bào zào

    be hot-tempered

  • 控制脾气kòng zhì pí qì

    control one's temper

Similar words

性格xìng gé: The stable pattern of thoughts and behavior that makes up a person's personality.
情绪qíng xù: The feelings and mood experienced at a given moment.
感情gǎn qíng: An inner feeling or emotion, including joy, anger, sadness, love, or affection.

Definition in Chinese

指一个人平时的性格倾向和遇事时的情绪反应，既可指性格也可指短暂的脾气。zhǐ yí gè rén píng shí de xìng gé qīng xiàng hé yù shì shí de qíng xù fǎn yìng jì kě zhǐ xìng gé yě kě zhǐ duǎn zàn de pí qì

Word origin

The compound 脾气 (píqì, "temper") joins 脾 (pí, "spleen") and 气 (qì, "vital energy"), reflecting traditional ideas that connected bodily balance with emotional disposition.

Usage tips

  • A negative modifier can make the word sound like criticism, while neutral surroundings can present it as a simple trait, making tone important when referring to another person.

Other meanings

  • bad tempernoun

Opposites

  • 好脾气hǎo pí qìgood tempernoun

Word lists with this word