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Full Idea
Primary powers are what make up the substances themselves; derivative powers, or 'faculties' if you like, are merely 'ways of being' - and they must be derived from substances.
Gist of Idea
Substances are primary powers; their ways of being are the derivative powers
Source
Gottfried Leibniz (New Essays on Human Understanding [1704], 4.03)
Book Ref
Leibniz,Gottfried: 'New Essays on Human Understanding', ed/tr. Remnant/Bennett [CUP 1996], p.379
A Reaction
We might talk of 'deep' and 'surface' properties, or maybe 'powers' and 'qualities' is better. 'Primary' and 'derivative' only gives the logical relationship, but not the causal relationship.
Related Idea
Idea 12969 The active powers which are not essential to the substance are the 'real qualities' [Leibniz]