圣像 (shèng xiàng) — icon, sacred image or statue (of a religious figure)

Definition

圣像 (shèngxiàng) refers specifically to a sacred image or statue of a saint or holy figure, typically in a Christian context. The word 圣 carries the religious sense ('holy, saint').

noun
iconsacred image or statue (of a religious figure)
Measure word · 尊

Examples

  • 圣像。
    Zhè zuò jiào táng lǐ yǒu hěn duō gǔ lǎo de shèng xiàng.
    There are many ancient icons in this church.
  • 圣像。
    Bó wù guǎn zhèng zài zhǎn lǎn yì pī lái zì dōng zhèng jiào de shèng xiàng.
    The museum is exhibiting a collection of Eastern Orthodox icons.
  • ，圣像。
    Xìn zhòng men diǎn rán là zhú, gōng jìng de cháo bài shèng xiàng.
    The faithful lit candles and reverently worshiped the sacred image.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

圣shèngsacred
像xiàngimage

圣 means sacred and 像 means image, together naming a sacred image.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聖; 圣 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
呈
呈chéng聖shèng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 聖 puts 耳 (ear) beside 呈, which gives the sound; the simplified 圣 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical parts.

Open 圣 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
象
象xiàng像
Same sound today

像 uses 亻, the side form of 人 (person), with 象 giving the sound.

Open 像 →

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