Character和Characteristic这对名词长得像，意思上也有相近之处，一不留神很容易用错，今天我就带您分析一下两个词的异同之处。

搜索character，大多是“角色”之意

Character

Collins：1）The character of a person or place consists of all the qualities they have that make them distinct from other people or places.

2）You use character to say what kind of person someone is. For example, if you say that someone is a strange character, you mean they are strange.

Webster：one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual

您看到了吗？character最重要的含义就是“性格”（不可数，不可加s），也用来代指“有某种特质的人”（可数，词尾加s）。

character作“性格”讲时，为不可数名词，一定不加s

例句：

1.Perhaps there is a negative side to his character that you haven't seen yet. 或许他性格中有你还未看到的消极一面。

2.It's that kind of courage and determination that makes him such a remarkable character. 正是那种勇气和决心使他成为这样卓越的人。

Characteristic(s)

Collins：The characteristics of a person or thing are the qualities or features that belong to them and make them recognizable.

Webster：a special quality or trait that makes a person, thing, or group different from others.

在表示“人的特性”这点上，character和characteristics可以互换

Characteristic作名词时的含义是“（人或事物的）特色”，用作名词时多使用复数“Characteristics”，我们常说的“有中国特色社会主义”英文为“Socialism with Chinese Characteristics”。

例句：

1.Genes determine the characteristics of every living thing.基因决定每个生物的特征。

您或许会问，都是“特点、特色”，“character”和“characteristic”有何区别？嗯……您可以试着这样理解：一个人先有自己的特色（characteristics一定用复数），然后这些特色又衍生出自己的性格（character只能用单数）。在很多情况下，如果表示一个人的“特质”，两个词往往可以互换而句意不会太有不同。如果表示某种事物的“器质”时，只可以使用“characteristics”。

此外，character的含义除了“性格”外，也有“汉字”的意思，如a shopping list written in Chinese characters.…用汉字写的一张购物单。而characteristic 用作形容词时，含义是“典型的”，如Windmills are a characteristic feature of the Mallorcan landscape. 风车是马略卡岛风光的一个典型的特色。

您学会了吗？