圣父 (Shèng Fù) — Holy Father (the first person of the Trinity in…

Definition

Christian theological term for God the Father, the first person of the Trinity. Used in religious and academic contexts, not everyday speech.

noun

Holy Father (the first person of the Trinity in Christianity)

：圣父、。
Jī dū tú xiāng xìn shàng dì shì sān wèi yī tǐ de: Shèng Fù, shèng zǐ hé shèng líng.
Christians believe that God is a Trinity: the Holy Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
圣父。
Wǒ men zài dǎo gào shí xiàng Shèng Fù qí qiú.
We pray to the Holy Father in our prayers.
圣父。
Shèng jīng jì zǎi le Shèng Fù chuàng zào tiān dì de gù shi.
The Bible records the story of the Holy Father creating heaven and earth.

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 父 means father, together it names the Holy Father.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

呈

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.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 父 shows a hand holding a stone blade, referring to a man working with a stone axe.

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