上帝是好的
shàngdì shì hǎo de
To say "God is good" in Chinese, use 上帝是好的 (shàngdì shì hǎo de).
This phrase serves as a statement of faith expressing that God is benevolent and kind.
Which one should you use?
The expression 主是善的 uses 主 (Lord) instead of 上帝 (God) and 善 instead of 好, which is common in liturgical or formal Christian contexts. Additionally, 上帝是善良的 is a more formal way to state that God is good.
How do you pronounce it?
shàngdì shì hǎo de
When do people say it?
When Chinese-speaking Christians are responding to a blessing or expressing that God is good, it is common to say 感谢主 (Thank the Lord) rather than simply stating the fact.
Did you know?
- Because 上帝 (shàngdì) contains the character for 'emperor', early translators had to navigate the fine line between describing a supreme heavenly ruler and using traditional imperial titles.
- In some older translations, 'God' is referred to as 天主 (tiānzhǔ), which literally translates to 'Lord of Heaven', a term still used specifically by the Catholic Church in China.
- If you use the word 神 (shén) instead of 上帝 (shàngdì), you might be misunderstood as referring to a generic spirit or a mythological deity rather than the monotheistic God.
Examples in context
- 朋友1：天主真好！Friend1 says, "God is good!"
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their faith during a difficult time.
- 梓涵 Zihan志强，我觉得生活太难了。Zhìqiáng, wǒ juéde shēnghuó tài nán le.Zhiqiang, I feel that life is too hard.
- 志强 Zhiqiang梓涵，请保持信心，上帝是好的。Zǐhán, qǐng bǎochí xìnxīn, Shàngdì shì hǎo de.Zihan, please keep the faith, God is good.
- 梓涵 Zihan谢谢你鼓励我。Xièxie nǐ gǔlì wǒ.Thank you for encouraging me.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我们会一起度过难关的。Wǒmen huì yīqǐ dùguò nánguān de.We will get through the hard times together.
