长老会
zhǎnglǎohuì
In Mandarin, "presbyterian" is 长老会 (zhǎnglǎohuì).
The term 长老会 is used to refer to both the specific Presbyterian denomination and the organizational body of the church.
Meaning: person belonging to the Presbyterian Church (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 长老 (zhǎnglǎo), meaning 'elder' and 会 (huì), meaning 'association' or 'church/assembly'.
How does it change in a sentence?
While 长老会 refers to the denomination itself, if you want to specify a person who is a Presbyterian, you should add 信徒 (xìntú), meaning 'believer' or 'follower', to create the phrase 长老会信徒.
How do you pronounce it?
zhǎnglǎohuì
Did you know?
- The word 长老 (zhǎnglǎo) for 'elder' is also a common title for the heads of many traditional Chinese clans or extended family lineages. This means an English speaker might accidentally use a term that sounds more like 'patriarch' than a church officer in certain contexts.
- In Mandarin, the character 会 (huì) used in 长老会 is a homonym that also means 'to be able to' or 'can'.
- Some older Chinese religious texts use 长老教 (zhǎnglǎojiào) instead of 长老会, swapping 'association' for a character that emphasizes 'doctrine' or 'religion'.
Examples in context
- 你知道基督长老会怎么说吗？Do you know how to say "Presbyterian"?
- 长老会在中国有多少信徒？How many followers does the Presbyterian Church have in China?
- 长老会在中国有很多信徒，人数不断增加。The Presbyterian Church has a large number of followers in China, and the number is continuously increasing.
- 他是长老会的成员。Tā shì Zhǎnglǎohuì de chéngyuán.He is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
- 很多长老会的人来参加聚会。Hěnduō Zhǎnglǎohuì de rén lái cānjiā jùhuì.Many Presbyterians come to attend the meeting.
- 这个社区有很多长老会信徒。Zhège shèqū yǒu hěnduō Zhǎnglǎohuì xìntú.There are many Presbyterians in this community.
Example conversation
Wei and Xiaowen are discussing their religious background.
- 伟 Wei晓雯，你是哪个教会的？Xiǎowén, nǐ shì nǎge jiàohuì de?Xiaowen, which church do you belong to?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我是长老会的。Wǒ shì Zhǎnglǎohuì de.I am Presbyterian.
- 伟 Wei原来如此，那很有意思。Yuánlái rúcǐ, nà hěn yǒu yìsi.I see, that is very interesting.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen伟，你呢？Wěi, nǐ ne?Wei, what about you?
