脾气

Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

Link to this comparison view

脾气 [2025/08/04 00:42] – created xiaoer脾气 [Unknown date] (current) – removed - external edit (Unknown date) 127.0.0.1
Line 1: Line 1:
-====== píqi: 脾气 - Temper, Temperament, Disposition ====== +
-===== Quick Summary ===== +
-  * **Keywords:** 脾气, piqi, bad temper in Chinese, Chinese temperament, pi qi meaning, get angry in Chinese, 发脾气, lose temper, character, personality, disposition, HSK 3 +
-  * **Summary:** Discover the meaning of **脾气 (píqi)**, a fundamental Chinese word for a person's temperament or disposition. While it can describe a good temper, it's most often used to talk about a "bad temper" or the act of "losing one's temper" (**发脾气**, fā píqi). Understanding **脾气** is essential for navigating social interactions in China, as managing one's temper is closely linked to cultural values of harmony and respect. +
-===== Core Meaning ===== +
-  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** píqi +
-  * **Part of Speech:** Noun +
-  * **HSK Level:** HSK 3 +
-  * **Concise Definition:** A person's temperament, disposition, or temper, often referring specifically to irritability or proneness to anger. +
-  * **In a Nutshell:** Think of **脾气 (píqi)** as someone's emotional baseline, particularly concerning patience and anger. While you can have a "good temper" (**好脾气**, hǎo píqi), the word on its own often implies a "bad temper" (**坏脾气**, huài píqi). It's less about a fleeting mood (**心情**, xīnqíng) and more about a stable personality trait. Someone with a "big temper" (**脾气很大**, píqi hěn dà) is someone who gets angry easily. +
-===== Character Breakdown ===== +
-  * **脾 (pí):** Spleen. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the spleen is not just a physical organ but is also considered the seat of thought and temperament. An imbalance in the spleen was believed to cause emotional instability and worry. +
-  * **气 (qì):** Air, gas, spirit, vital energy. **气 (qì)** is a core concept in Chinese philosophy, representing the life force that flows through all things. +
-  * **How they combine:** The word **脾气 (píqi)** literally translates to "spleen energy." This reflects the ancient TCM belief that one's temperament is directly linked to the state of their internal organs. An unhealthy "spleen energy" would manifest as irritability and a bad temper, which is exactly how the word is used today. +
-===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== +
-  * **Harmony over Confrontation:** Chinese culture traditionally places a high value on social harmony (**和谐**, héxié). Openly losing your temper (**发脾气**, fā píqi) is seen as a major disruption of this harmony. It can cause everyone involved to lose "face" (**面子**, miànzi) and is often viewed as a sign of immaturity and a lack of self-control. +
-  * **Comparison to Western Culture:** In many Western cultures, especially American culture, expressing anger can sometimes be interpreted as being "authentic," "passionate," or "standing up for yourself." While these values exist in China too, the method of expression is different. A public outburst of **脾气** is far less socially acceptable than a firm but calm discussion. A person who can remain calm under pressure is seen as wise and respectable. Therefore, controlling one's **脾气** is considered a virtue. +
-===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== +
-  * **Describing a Person's Temperament:** This is the most common usage. It's a standard way to talk about someone's personality in terms of patience. +
-    *   **Positive:** 他脾气很好。 (Tā píqi hěn hǎo.) - He has a very good temper. +
-    *   **Negative:** 她脾气很坏/很大。 (Tā píqi hěn huài / hěn dà.) - She has a very bad temper. (Using **大 (dà)** - "big" - is a very common way to say "bad" in this context). +
-  * **The Act of Losing One's Temper:** The verb-object phrase **发脾气 (fā píqi)**, "to issue a temper," is used constantly. +
-    *   你为什么对我**发脾气**？ (Nǐ wèishénme duì wǒ fā píqi?) - Why are you losing your temper at me? +
-  * **Compatibility in Relationships:** **脾气** is often discussed as a key factor in whether two people can get along, be it in friendships, romance, or business. +
-    *   我们俩**脾气**不合。 (Wǒmen liǎ píqi bù hé.) - Our temperaments are not compatible. +
-===== Example Sentences ===== +
-  * **Example 1:** +
-    * 他**脾气**很好，从来不跟人吵架。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā **píqi** hěn hǎo, cónglái bù gēn rén chǎojià. +
-    * English: He has a very good temper; he never argues with people. +
-    * Analysis: This shows the positive use of **脾气** modified by **好 (hǎo)**, meaning "good." It describes a desirable, stable personality trait. +
-  * **Example 2:** +
-    * 你**脾气**太坏了，需要改一改。 +
-    * Pinyin: Nǐ **píqi** tài huài le, xūyào gǎi yī gǎi. +
-    * English: Your temper is too bad, you need to change it. +
-    * Analysis: Here, **坏 (huài)**, meaning "bad," explicitly describes a negative temperament. This is a direct criticism. +
-  * **Example 3:** +
-    * 别为这点小事**发脾气**，不值得。 +
-    * Pinyin: Bié wèi zhè diǎn xiǎoshì **fā píqi**, bù zhídé. +
-    * English: Don't lose your temper over such a small thing, it's not worth it. +
-    * Analysis: This uses the crucial verb-object phrase **发脾气 (fā píqi)**, which means "to get angry" or "to lose one's temper." +
-  * **Example 4:** +
-    * 我老板**脾气**很大，我们都有些怕他。 +
-    * Pinyin: Wǒ lǎobǎn **píqi** hěn dà, wǒmen dōu yǒuxiē pà tā. +
-    * English: My boss has a huge (bad) temper, so we're all a bit afraid of him. +
-    * Analysis: Using **大 (dà)**, meaning "big," is a very common and slightly more informal way to say someone has a bad temper. +
-  * **Example 5:** +
-    * 他今天**脾气**不好，你最好别去惹他。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā jīntiān **píqi** bù hǎo, nǐ zuìhǎo bié qù rě tā. +
-    * English: He's in a bad temper today, you'd better not go and provoke him. +
-    * Analysis: This specifies the temper for a certain period ("today"). It's subtly different from **心情 (xīnqíng)**, as it implies active irritability, not just sadness or a low mood. +
-  * **Example 6:** +
-    * 找对象的时候，**脾气**相投很重要。 +
-    * Pinyin: Zhǎo duìxiàng de shíhou, **píqi** xiāngtóu hěn zhòngyào. +
-    * English: When looking for a partner, having compatible temperaments is very important. +
-    * Analysis: **相投 (xiāngtóu)** means "to be congenial" or "to suit one another." This highlights the importance of **脾气** in relationship compatibility. +
-  * **Example 7:** +
-    * 孩子不听话，妈妈终于发**脾气**了。 +
-    * Pinyin: Háizi bù tīnghuà, māmā zhōngyú fā **píqi** le. +
-    * English: The child wouldn't listen, and the mom finally lost her temper. +
-    * Analysis: The particle **了 (le)** indicates the completion of the action **发脾气**. This is a classic cause-and-effect sentence. +
-  * **Example 8:** +
-    * 他是个**有脾气**的人，不会轻易妥协。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā shì ge **yǒu píqi** de rén, bú huì qīngyì tuǒxié. +
-    * English: He's a person with a strong personality/temper; he won't compromise easily. +
-    * Analysis: **有脾气 (yǒu píqi)** is a nuanced phrase. It can mean "has a bad temper," but in contexts like this, it can also be a neutral or even positive description of someone who has a backbone and isn't a pushover. +
-  * **Example 9:** +
-    * 他**脾气**很急躁，做事没有耐心。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā **píqi** hěn jízào, zuòshì méiyǒu nàixīn. +
-    * English: He has a very impatient temper and has no patience when doing things. +
-    * Analysis: This links **脾气** with a more specific adjective, **急躁 (jízào)**, which means "impatient" or "irritable." +
-  * **Example 10:** +
-    * 她控制住了自己的**脾气**，没有当场发作。 +
-    * Pinyin: Tā kòngzhì zhù le zìjǐ de **píqi**, méiyǒu dāngchǎng fāzuò. +
-    * English: She controlled her temper and didn't blow up on the spot. +
-    * Analysis: This sentence shows the opposite of losing one's temper—**控制 (kòngzhì)**, "to control." This is seen as a highly virtuous action in Chinese culture. +
-===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== +
-  * **脾气 (píqi) vs. 心情 (xīnqíng) - Temperament vs. Mood:** This is the most common point of confusion for learners. +
-    *   **脾气 (píqi)** is a long-term personality trait. //He has a bad temper.// (他脾气很坏。) +
-    *   **心情 (xīnqíng)** is a short-term, temporary feeling or mood. //I'm in a bad mood today because I lost my wallet.// (我今天心情不好，因为我钱包丢了。) +
-    *   **Mistake:** Don't say "我今天脾气不好" if you just mean you're feeling sad or down. Say "我今天心情不好." If you say "我今天脾气不好," it means you are feeling irritable and are likely to snap at people. +
-  * **False Friend: "Temperament"**: In English, "temperament" is a neutral word (e.g., an artistic temperament, a calm temperament). In Chinese, while **脾气** can be neutral when modified (e.g., 好脾气), using it alone often carries a negative implication of having a "bad temper." For example, if someone says "他有脾气 (Tā yǒu píqi)," they most likely mean "He has a (bad) temper." +
-===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== +
-  * [[发脾气]] (fā píqi) - The verb-object phrase meaning "to lose one's temper" or "to get angry." It's the action associated with a bad **脾气**. +
-  * [[性格]] (xìnggé) - Personality; character. This is a much broader term. Your **脾气** is just one part of your overall **性格**. +
-  * [[心情]] (xīnqíng) - Mood. The temporary emotional state you are in right now, as opposed to your long-term disposition. +
-  * [[生气]] (shēngqì) - To get angry; to be angry. This is the emotion or state of being angry. Having a bad **脾气** means you **生气** easily. +
-  * [[耐心]] (nàixīn) - Patience. The direct opposite of having a bad temper. A person with a **好脾气 (hǎo píqi)** is usually full of **耐心**. +
-  * [[和气]] (héqi) - Amiable, gentle, friendly. Describes a state of being or behavior that reflects a good **脾气**. +
-  * [[急躁]] (jízào) - Impatient; irritable; rash. A specific type of negative **脾气**. +
-  * [[面子]] (miànzi) - "Face"; social dignity and reputation. Publicly losing your **脾气** is a major way to lose **面子**.+