Fluentide
Fluentide for iOS is out — get the app
HSK 4

脾气

temperament; temper

nounneutral
脾
pí2nd tone
气
qì4th tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
píqi
Part of speech
noun
Level
HSK 4
Strokes
16
Register
neutral
Measure word
个

Stroke order for 脾气

脾气 is written with 16 strokes (脾: 12, 气: 4). The animation replays automatically.

What does 脾气 mean?

脾气 (píqi) is a noun meaning a person's temperament or temper — the emotional disposition that shows in how they react, especially to frustration.

It is the go-to word for describing whether someone is easily angered (脾气大 / 脾气坏) or even-keeled (脾气好). Two things trip up English speakers. First, 脾气 alone is neutral: it means 'temperament,' not necessarily 'bad temper' — you must add 大, 坏, or 好 to give it a value.

But 发脾气 (fā píqi), 'to release temper,' specifically means to lose one's temper or throw a fit. Second, the second syllable 气 is toneless (neutral tone) here, unlike the standalone 气 (qì). 脾气 describes an ingrained disposition, not a passing mood, which would be 心情 (xīnqíng).

Note: Everyday spoken word. In writing, 性情 (xìngqíng) or 性格 (xìnggé) feel more literary; 脾气 is the word you actually use when talking about someone's temper.

Character by character

脾píspleen (in traditional medicine, seat of temperament)
+
气qìair; energy; anger
=
脾气

Memory hook: In traditional Chinese medicine the spleen (脾) governs one's 'air/energy' (气) — so your 脾气 is literally the temper your organs give you.

Example sentences

他脾气很好，从来不生气。

Tā píqi hěn hǎo, cónglái bù shēngqì.

He's very even-tempered and never gets angry.

spoken

你别对孩子发脾气。

Nǐ bié duì háizi fā píqi.

Don't lose your temper at the child.

spoken

她今天心情不好，脾气有点大。

Tā jīntiān xīnqíng bù hǎo, píqi yǒudiǎn dà.

She's in a bad mood today and a bit short-tempered.

neutral

改改你的坏脾气吧。

Gǎigai nǐ de huài píqi ba.

You should work on that bad temper of yours.

spoken

Common phrases with 脾气

发脾气fā píqito lose one's temper; throw a fit
脾气好píqi hǎogood-tempered; even-tempered
脾气大píqi dàhot-tempered; short-fused
耍脾气shuǎ píqito throw a tantrum; be moody

Synonyms

性格xìnggé

性格 is broader 'personality' — introvert/extrovert, brave/timid. 脾气 zooms in on the emotional/anger side. Someone can have a great 性格 but a short 脾气.

性情xìngqíng

性情 is a more written, literary word for 'temperament/nature.' 脾气 is the everyday spoken choice, and only 脾气 collocates with 发 to mean losing your temper.

Don't confuse 脾气 with

心情xīnqíng

心情 is a temporary 'mood' — it changes hour to hour. 脾气 is a stable disposition. You can be in a bad 心情 today but still have a good 脾气 overall.

生气shēngqì

生气 is a verb/adjective meaning 'to be angry' right now. 脾气 is the noun for the underlying trait. You 生气 because you have a 脾气.

FAQ

Acquire it by listening

Meet 脾气 again — in real Chinese, at your level.

Fluentide turns real news into Chinese listening at your exact level, so words like 脾气 show up again and again in natural sentences — with pinyin and translation every time. No flashcards. Free to start.