脾气

脾氣
píqi
noun HSK 5 #3,350

Meanings

  1. 1 temperament; disposition
  2. 2 temper; bad temper

Characters

The 'qi' of the spleen - in Chinese medicine, the spleen governs temperament.

Examples

HSK 2
Bié fāpíqi le.
Stop losing your temper.
HSK 2
Tā píqi láide kuài, qù de yě kuài.
She loses her temper quickly but gets over it quickly too.
HSK 5
Tóngshì zhījiān nánmiǎn yǒu máodùn, bié zǒngshì luàn fāpíqi.
Friction among colleagues is unavoidable; don't keep losing your temper.

Tips

usage
发脾气 (fā píqi) = to lose one's temper. 脾气 = good-tempered. 脾气不好/脾气 = bad-tempered. 脾气 (nào píqi) = to throw a tantrum (often about children).
culture
The connection to the spleen () comes from traditional Chinese medicine, where the spleen is linked to worry and pensiveness. An imbalanced spleen leads to irritability - hence 'spleen qi' became 'temper.'

Stroke Order