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質 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
質zhìessence, nature; material, substancex, 15 strokes, radical 貝, rank #84697, Very Hard
zhì(zhi4)zhi T4
  1. 1essence, nature; material, substance
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March 24, 2026

質zhì(zhi4)

The character 質 (zhì) refers to the essence or nature of something, often relating to its material or substance. It is commonly used in contexts discussing the quality, characteristics, or inherent properties of an object or concept, such as in science or philosophy.

Strokes15Radical貝Frequency#84697DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of 質 is crucial as it pertains to the nature of herbs and their effects on the body. Understanding the essence of these substances is believed to be fundamental to achieving balance and health.

Memory tip

Imagine a scientist examining the '質' (zhì) of a material. The left part, 貝 (bèi), resembles 'money' which can symbolize valuable materials, while the right part, 質, sounds like 'zhì' — think of 'zest' for life which reflects the essence of being. Together, they remind you that 'zhì' is about the core substance of things.

Meanings of 質

zhì(zhi4)
1essence, nature; material, substance
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 質

質Simplified
15Strokes
貝Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

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Podcast: 質

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AI study notes for 質

Quick Contrast

特質 (tèzhì) vs 性質 (xìngzhì) — use 質 (zhì) when referring to the fundamental essence or nature, while 特質 (tèzhì) emphasizes unique characteristics, and 性質 (xìngzhì) focuses on inherent properties.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 質 with 質量 (zhìliàng), which means 'quality' or 'mass'. This character is more formal and is often found in academic or scientific contexts. Ensure you use the correct tone; many learners mistakenly pronounce it as 'zhī'.

HSK Study Tips

While 質 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects well with advanced vocabulary related to qualities and properties. Focus on using this character in sentences that describe the nature of things, which can help expand your understanding of related words in your studies.

Common Mistakes

Learners often misuse 質 as a direct synonym for 'quality', while it actually refers more to the essence or substance. For example, saying '這個質很好' (zhège zhì hěn hǎo) is incorrect; instead, use '這個產品的質量很好' (zhège chǎnpǐn de zhìliàng hěn hǎo).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 質

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Etymology of 質

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 質. Origin unclear. The traditional component 斤 was removed for simplification.

Memory hint

shell

Semantic (meaning)貝
+
Phonetic (sound)斦
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

質 = 貝 + 斦. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 質

IDS Structure⿱斦貝
質Full character
=
斦yin2
top
貝bei4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 質?

How to say essence, nature; material, substance in Chinese

“essence, nature; material, substance” in Chinese is質zhì

The character 質 (zhì) refers to the essence or nature of something, often relating to its material or substance. It is commonly used in contexts discussing the quality, characteristics, or inherent properties of an object or concept, such as in science or philosophy.

When to use 質

Be careful not to confuse 質 with 質量 (zhìliàng), which means 'quality' or 'mass'. This character is more formal and is often found in academic or scientific contexts. Ensure you use the correct tone; many learners mistakenly pronounce it as 'zhī'.

質 or something close to it

特質 (tèzhì) vs 性質 (xìngzhì) — use 質 (zhì) when referring to the fundamental essence or nature, while 特質 (tèzhì) emphasizes unique characteristics, and 性質 (xìngzhì) focuses on inherent properties.

What learners get wrong

Learners often misuse 質 as a direct synonym for 'quality', while it actually refers more to the essence or substance. For example, saying '這個質很好' (zhège zhì hěn hǎo) is incorrect; instead, use '這個產品的質量很好' (zhège chǎnpǐn de zhìliàng hěn hǎo).

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質

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Word Family of 質

Words containing this character20
质量zhìliàngquality質量
物质wùzhìmatter物質
人质rénzhìhostage人質
质zhìnature質
质疑zhìyíto call into question質疑
素质sùzhìinner quality素質
品质pǐnzhìcharacter品質
本质běnzhìessence本質
性质xìngzhìnature性質
气质qìzhìtemperament氣質
优质yōuzhìexcellent quality優質
蛋白质dànbáizhìprotein蛋白質
特质tèzhìcharacteristic特質
实质shízhìsubstance實質
神经质nervous神經質
地质dìzhìgeology地質
潜质potential潛質
质问zhìwènto question質問
变质biànzhìto degenerate變質
资质aptitude資質
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 質

What does 质量 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 質

You can say '這個材料的質量很好' (zhège cáiliào de zhìliàng hěn hǎo), meaning 'The quality of this material is very good.'

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