先天

xiāntiān

adjective HSK 7 #21,674

Meanings

Before birth - innate.

Zhè shì xiāntiān de háishi hòutiān de?

Is this innate or acquired?

Tā yǒu xiāntiānxìng xīnzàngbìng.

He has a congenital heart disease.

Xiāntiān tiáojiàn hěn zhòngyào, dàn hòutiān nǔlì gèng zhòngyào.

Innate conditions are important, but acquired effort matters more.

usage

先天 is always contrasted with 后天 (acquired/postnatal). 先天 = born with it; 后天 = developed after birth. Also: 先天不足 (innately deficient).

先 xiān

天 tiān