圣灵 (Shèng líng) — Holy Spirit (Christianity) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A Christian theological term for the Holy Spirit — the third person of the Trinity, often paired with 圣父 (God the Father) and 圣子 (the Son).

noun

Holy Spirit (Christianity)

Examples

圣灵，圣灵。
Xìn tú men xiàng Shèng líng dǎo gào, qiú Shèng líng cì yǔ lì liàng.
The believers prayed to the Holy Spirit, asking the Holy Spirit to grant them strength.
圣灵。
Tā men xiāng xìn Shèng líng huì yǐn dǎo tā men zǒu zhèng què de dào lù.
They believe the Holy Spirit will lead them on the right path.
圣灵。
Mù shī zài jiǎng dào zhōng jiě shì le Shèng líng de gōng zuò.
The pastor explained the work of the Holy Spirit during the sermon.

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 means holy and 灵 means spirit, so the word names the Holy Spirit.

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.

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 靈; 灵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

玉玉yùjade

Sound part声符shēngfú

霝

霝líng靈líng

Same sound today

This note describes the traditional form 靈, not the simplified 灵: 霝 gives the sound, and 玉 (jade) is the meaning part.

Appears in

Religion & Belief

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