上帝保佑
shàngdì bǎoyòu
The English phrase "God bless" is expressed in Chinese as 上帝保佑 (shàngdì bǎoyòu).
上帝保佑 is a phrase used to wish someone divine protection or favor. It is primarily used within Christian contexts in Chinese-speaking communities.
What does it mean word for word?
上帝保佑 is composed of 上帝 (shàngdì), meaning 'God' and 保佑 (bǎoyòu), meaning 'to protect/bless'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien, 神保佑 (Sîn pó-yò) is a way to express 'God bless'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'God bless you' specifically to a person, you can add the pronoun 你 (nǐ) after the verb. To make the phrase more respectful when addressing an elder or a person of higher status, use 您 (nín) instead of 你.
How do you pronounce it?
shàngdì bǎoyòu
Did you know?
- The term 上帝 was used in ancient Chinese texts to describe a high deity long before Christianity introduced the concept of 'God' to the region.
- In many Chinese traditions, rather than asking for divine protection through a phrase like 上帝保佑, people prefer to wish for 'blessings' using the term 福 (fú), which refers to good fortune or luck.
- The word 保 (bǎo) in 保佑 also means 'to guarantee' or 'to defend' in a military or commercial sense, giving the blessing a sense of active guardianship.
Examples in context
- 上帝保佑美国。God bless America.This is useful for translating 'God bless America.' using 上帝保佑.Tatoeba #5670788 by verdastelo9604, translation #1534289 by Spamster
- 上帝保佑您！God bless you!This is useful for translating 'God bless you!' using 上帝保佑.Tatoeba #1185716 by dericteng, translation #269618 by CM
- 上帝保佑巴勒斯坦。God bless Palestine.This is useful for translating 'God bless Palestine.' using 上帝保佑.Tatoeba #10367015 by DaoSeng, translation #10026063 by Amastan
- 当地发生了一场自然灾害，希望上帝保佑受灾的人们平安无事。After the local natural disaster, we hope God blesses those affected and keeps them safe.
- 祝你在新的一年里万事如意，愿上帝保佑你幸福快乐。Wishing you all the best in the new year, may God bless you with happiness and joy.
- 考试加油！上帝保佑你！Good luck for the exam! God bless you!
- 不要担心，一切都会好起来的，上帝会保佑的。Don't worry, everything will get better, God will bless.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
晓雯 and 志强 are saying goodbye at a church.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen愿上帝保佑你。Yuàn Shàngdì bǎoyòu nǐ.May God bless you.
- 志强 Zhiqiang谢谢，也愿上帝保佑你。Xièxiè, yě yuàn Shàngdì bǎoyòu nǐ.Thank you, and may God bless you too.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen下次见，志强。Xià cì jiàn, Zhìqiáng.See you next time, Zhiqiang.
- 志强 Zhiqiang再见，晓雯。Zàijiàn, Xiǎowén.Goodbye, Xiaowen.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
