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上帝 (Shàng dì) — God (monotheistic deity)

Definition

Refers to the monotheistic God (as in Christianity or Islam), written with a capital G. In Chinese folk religion, 神 or 天 is used for gods/spirits, so 上帝 specifically signals the singular creator God of Western monotheism.

noun
God (monotheistic deity)

Examples

  • 上帝。
    Tā men xiāng xìn Shàng dì chuàng zào le shì jiè.
    They believe God created the world.
  • 上帝。
    Zhǐ yǒu Shàng dì cái zhī dào dá àn.
    Only God knows the answer.
  • 上帝。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī bǎ kè hù dàng zuò Shàng dì.
    This company treats customers as God.

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.

上shànghigh
帝dìemperor

The high 帝 name was applied to the supreme God.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →

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
丄丄shàngup; above
Sound part声符shēngfú
朿
朿cì帝dì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

帝 originally drew a flower calyx, the part joining blossom to stem. The 丄 and 朿 breakdown is mistaken.

Open 帝 →
Appears in
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