Chinese symbol for “instinct”
本能
běn néng
instinct
The closest CC-CEDICT match for instinct is 本能 (běn néng), defined as: instinct.
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Characters and stroke order
Related words
Other words that share a character with 本能.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 根本 | gēn běn | fundamental; basic |
| 基本 | jī běn | basic; fundamental |
| 版本 | bǎn běn | version; edition |
| 资本 (資本) | zī běn | capital (economics) |
| 本来 (本來) | běn lái | original; originally |
| 本身 | běn shēn | itself; in itself |
| 可能 | kě néng | might (happen); possible |
| 不能 | bù néng | cannot; must not |
See also: Japanese symbol for “instinct”.
Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.