The Chinese word **慢性** (mànxìng), meaning "chronic" (as in a long-lasting medical condition), is a compound formed by combining the character **慢** (màn), which means "slow," with the character **性** (xìng), which means "nature," "characteristic," or "property." Together, they create a meaning that describes a condition or disease with a "slow nature"—one that develops gradually and persists over a long period, as opposed to an acute or sudden onset. This formation follows the common Chinese morphological pattern where a descriptive element (慢) modifies a nominalizing suffix (性) to create an abstract noun denoting a specific quality or type.