天性 (tensei) innate + innate quality
This word means “nature, natural constitution, innate disposition, inherent.” It is nearly synonymous with the following compound:
先天 (senten) before + innate
But these compounds differ in an important way. People use 天性の when speaking of positive attributes, such as a knack for sports, art, or science. One might say, “Barry Bonds is a 天性の (tensei no) home-run hitter.”
This word is not used for congenital physical problems, however. Doctors use 先天的 in that context, saying for instance, “This boy has a 先天的な (sententekina) heart disorder.”
