1.
to be compatible; to get along well; to be a good match
Describes a natural compatibility between people, things, or combinations. Can refer to personal relationships, food pairings, technology compatibility, and more.
あの二人は相性がいい。
Those two are compatible with each other.
チーズとワインは相性がいい。
Cheese and wine go well together.
新しいソフトウェアとこのパソコンは相性がいいようで、問題なく動いている。
The new software seems to be compatible with this computer — it's running without any problems.
相性 originally comes from fortune-telling and astrology, where it referred to the compatibility between two people's birth signs. Today it is used broadly for any kind of natural compatibility or affinity.
The opposite expression is 相性が悪い (to be incompatible).
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 相性がいい: compatible, a good match
- 相性が悪い: incompatible, a bad match
- 相性が合う: to be compatible
- 相性抜群: perfect compatibility
- 相性診断: compatibility test
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 気が合う: to get along — focuses on personality and temperament between people
- 馬が合う: to hit it off — an idiomatic expression for personal chemistry
- 合う: to suit, to match — a more general term for things fitting together