How to say “instinct” in Chinese
instinct; instinctively
“Instinct” in Chinese is 本能, běn néng: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
本能 is read běn néng: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
木 “tree” with a stroke at the root.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “本能”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 本能. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 害怕危险是动物的本能hàipàwēixiǎnshìdòngwùdeběnnéngFearing danger is an animal instinct.
More words from the lesson “Energy and weak spots”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “instinct” in Chinese?
“Instinct” in Chinese is 本能, pinyin běnnéng.
What does 本能 mean?
本能 (běnnéng) means “instinct; instinctively”.
How do you write 本能?
本能 is 2 characters: 本 (běn) — root; measure word: books; 能 (néng) — can, be able. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 本能?
本能 is read běnnéng. Tones: běn — third tone, néng — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“instinct” in the lesson “Energy and weak spots”
This word is from the topic “Character and behavior” of HSK 6. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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