神圣
shénshèng
The Chinese word for holy is 神圣 (shénshèng).
The term 神圣 is used to describe things that are sacred, divine or revered within a religious context.
Meaning: revered in a religion (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word consists of 神 (shén), meaning god or spirit and 圣 (shèng), meaning saint or holy.
Which one should you use?
While 神圣 refers to things that are sacred or divine, the term 圣洁 is used more specifically to describe religious purity or holiness in a spiritual sense.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese (specifically in Hong Kong, Guangdong province and Macau), the word for holy is 聖 (sing).
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 神圣 as an adjective before a noun, the particle 的 is often added to the end to form 神圣的.
How do you pronounce it?
shénshèng
Did you know?
- The character 神 (shén) can be used as an adjective to mean 'miraculous' or 'amazing' in daily slang, such as calling a talented person a 大神 (dàshén), or 'great god'.
- The character 神 (shén) can refer to the mind or spirit in a medical context, such as in traditional Chinese medicine to describe a patient's mental state.
- In modern Chinese, 圣 is used to create words for 'the best' or 'the ultimate' in non-religious contexts, such as 圣地 for a 'mecca' of fashion or gaming.
Examples in context
- 没有什么是神圣的。Nothing is holy.Tatoeba #6822540 by basilhan, translation #890870 by Zifre
- 神圣Holy (divine)
- 圣水Holy water
- 这里是一片神圣的土地。Zhèlǐ shì yīpiàn shénshèng de tǔdì.This is a piece of holy land.
- 他认为生命是神圣的。Tā rènwéi shēngmìng shì shénshèng de.He believes that life is holy.
Example conversation
Haoran and Jiayi are visiting an old temple.
- 浩然 Haoran这里感觉很神圣。Zhèlǐ gǎnjué hěn shénshèng.It feels very holy here.
- 佳怡 Jiayi是的，请保持安静。Shì de, qǐng bǎochí ānjìng.Yes, please keep quiet.
- 浩然 Haoran好的，我会小声说话。Hǎo de, wǒ huì xiǎoshēng shuōhuà.Okay, I will speak softly.
- 佳怡 Jiayi谢谢你，浩然。Xièxiè nǐ, Hàorán.Thank you, Haoran.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
