质
zhì
character
nature; quality; plain; to pawn; pledge; hostage; to question; Taiwan pr. [zhi2]
cliff (厂) + ten (十) + shell (贝) = innate quality or pledge
贝 (cowrie shell) carries the core meaning — shells were ancient currency, so 质 evokes the intrinsic worth or nature of something pledged or examined. 十 mainly lends sound; 厂 provides the structural frame.
这块布的质地很好，摸起来很软。
zhè kuài bù de zhì dì hěn hǎo，mō qǐ lái hěn ruǎn。
The texture of this piece of cloth is very good; it feels very soft to the touch.
这个产品的质量不错，值得买。
zhè ge chǎn pǐn de zhì liàng bù cuò，zhí de mǎi。
The quality of this product is quite good; it is worth buying.
Words with 质
石质
shí zhì
stony
内质网
nèi zhì wǎng
endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
物理性质
wù lǐ xìng zhì
physical property
纸质
zhǐ zhì
(attributive) paper; hard-copy; printed
皮质醇
pí zhì chún
cortisol
反物质
fǎn wù zhì
antimatter
地质学家
dì zhì xué jiā
geologist
质粒
zhì lì
plasmid
连续介质力学
lián xù jiè zhì lì xué
mechanics of a continuous medium
递质
dì zhì
neurotransmitter
遗传物质
yí chuán wù zhì
genetic material
钙质
gài zhì
calcium