How to say "inherent" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

先天せんてんCommon
nounA noun for what a person has from birth, as opposed to what is acquired; by itself it is not the adjective 'inherent' — for that, use 先天的.
固有こゆうJLPT N1approx.Common
no-adjective, na-adjectiveUsed for something inherent in a particular thing — a quality that belongs to it peculiarly and cannot be separated from it. Also renders 'characteristic of', 'peculiar to', and 'endemic'.
羽はねは鳥とりに固有こゆうのものだ。↗
Feathers are peculiar to birds.
先天的せんてんてきJLPT N1approx.Common
na-adjectiveThe adjective for qualities present from birth: inborn, innate, congenital. Choose it when 'inherent' describes a trait or condition a person was born with rather than a property of a thing.
その習慣しゅうかんは後天的こうてんてきで、先天的せんてんてきなものではない。↗
That habit is acquired, not innate.
持ち前もちまえCommon
no-adjectiveDescribes a natural quality a person is born with, especially temperament; it is really about innate personal character, not about properties inherent in things or systems.
メアリーは持ち前もちまえの優やさしい性格せいかくから級友きゅうゆうたちから親したしまれた。↗
Mary's kind nature quickly won her the friendship of her classmates.

For 'inherent' meaning inborn, use 先天的 (noun 先天); for a quality inherent in a thing itself, 固有; for a person's natural temperament, 「持ち前」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents

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