宗教
zōngjiào
宗教 (zōngjiào) is the Chinese word for religion.
宗教 refers to a system of beliefs dealing with the soul, a deity or life after death. When you want to express that a person is religious, it is more common to say they "have religious beliefs" (有宗教信仰) rather than saying they "are" a religion.
Meaning: system of beliefs dealing with soul, deity and/or life after death (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 宗教 is composed of 宗, meaning ancestor or sect and 教, meaning teaching or doctrine.
Which one should you use?
The term 宗教学 is a specific derivative used to refer to the academic field of religious studies or the study of religion, created by adding the suffix 学 (study/science) to 宗教.
How do you pronounce it?
zōngjiào
Did you know?
- Although used widely in China today, the specific character combination for 宗教 is actually a 'Wasei kango', a term originally coined in Japan to translate Western concepts.
- In China, Confucianism is often debated as to whether it is a 宗教 or a philosophical system of ethics.
- The term 宗教 is often used in official government contexts to refer to any organized belief system, including those that do not believe in a deity.
Examples in context
- 我的专业是宗教学。My major is comparative religion.This sentence shows how to use 宗教 when discussing an academic major.Tatoeba #3378021 by GlossaMatik, translation #3378022 by Jesse
- 别让宗教影响政府。Keep religion out of government.This sentence illustrates how to use 宗教 in a sentence about government.Tatoeba #13744230 by fup6m3vj0, translation #5729033 by CM
- 我对中国宗教感兴趣。I am interested in Chinese religion.This sentence demonstrates the use of 宗教 when expressing interest in a specific country's religion.Tatoeba #3378039 by GlossaMatik, translation #3378040 by CM
- 我尊重各种宗教信仰。I respect all kinds of religious beliefs.
- 我的信仰是佛教。My religion is Buddhism.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a documentary about world cultures.
- 雨婷 Yuting这部纪录片讲的是世界宗教。Zhè bù jìlùpiàn jiǎng de shì shìjiè zōngjiào.This documentary is about world religions.
- 俊杰 Junjie很有意思，我也想了解一下。Hěn yǒuyìsi, wǒ yě xiǎng liǎojiě yīxià.It's very interesting, I want to learn about it too.
- 雨婷 Yuting俊杰，你对宗教感兴趣吗？Jùnjié, nǐ duì zōngjiào gǎn xìngqù ma?Junjie, are you interested in religion?
- 俊杰 Junjie不算很感兴趣，但并不排斥。Bù suàn hěn gǎn xìngqù, dàn bìng bù páichì.Not particularly interested, but I don't mind it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “religion” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 宗教, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
