耶穌 / 耶稣
yēsū
The name Jesus in Chinese is 耶穌 / 耶稣. If unsure, use 耶穌 / 耶稣 (yēsū). Wiktionary also lists 伊伊穌斯 / 伊伊稣斯 (Yīyīsūsī) and 鿗 (Yīyīsūsī).
Meaning: religious figure (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 耶穌 / 耶稣 | yēsū | ||
| 伊伊穌斯 / 伊伊稣斯 | Yīyīsūsī | ||
| 耶穌 / 耶稣 | Iâ-so͘ | Hokkien | |
| 鿗 | Yīyīsūsī | /i⁵⁵ i⁵⁵ su⁵⁵ sɹ̩⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) | obsolete |
The name refers to the central religious figure of Christianity. You can emphasize his divinity by adding the word 主 (zhǔ), meaning "Lord," before the name to say "Lord Jesus" (主耶稣).
Which one should you use?
The form 耶穌 / 耶稣 is the standard and most common way to refer to the religious figure in modern Mandarin. The form 伊伊穌斯 / 伊伊稣斯 is another way to express the name, while the form 鿗 is an obsolete version.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The romanization Iâ-so͘ refers to the pronunciation of the name 耶穌 / 耶稣 in the Hokkien language.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
Iâ-so͘
Did you know?
- Unlike in English, where 'Jesus' is often used as an exclamation of surprise or frustration, using 耶穌 in this way is uncommon and sounds like a literal translation from a movie.
- The obsolete character 鿗 is a specialized abbreviation created specifically to compress the four characters of 伊伊穌斯 into a single symbol.
- The standard name 耶穌 is actually a phonetic transliteration, meaning the characters themselves carry no inherent meaning related to divinity or personhood.
Examples in context
- 耶稣是基督教的创始人之一。Jesus is one of the founders of Christianity.
- 耶稣对真理有深刻的理解。Jesus has a profound understanding of the truth.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Jesus” translations and entries 鿗, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 伊伊穌斯, 耶穌, 鿗, CC BY-SA 4.0.
