慢性 mànxìng slow and patient
slow and patient; chronic (disease); slow to take effect (e.g. a slow poison)
How to remember 慢性: 慢 slow + 性 nature = slow and patient.
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How it is used
- 'Chronic / slow-acting' - 慢性病 (mànxìngbìng) chronic illness, 慢性中毒 (mànxìng zhòngdú) slow poisoning.
- Medical/technical opposite of 急性 (jíxìng, acute); the 急性/慢性 pair is standard for disease onset - 急性病 (jíxìngbìng) an acute illness.
- Figuratively, a slow-building problem: 慢性子 (mànxìngzi) a slow, unhurried temperament of a person. Here 性 is 'nature/type', not 'sex'.