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信奉 (xìn fèng) — to believe in (a religion, doctrine, ideology)

Definition

A formal verb meaning to believe in or adhere to a religion, doctrine, or ideology — stronger and more committed than 相信 (which just means 'to believe/think true').

verb
to believe in (a religion, doctrine, ideology)

Examples

  • 信奉。
    Tā xìn fèng fó jiào.
    He believes in Buddhism.
  • 信奉。
    Hěn duō rén xìn fèng zì yóu hé píng děng.
    Many people believe in freedom and equality.
  • 信奉。
    Tā yì shēng xìn fèng zhè ge lǐ niàn.
    She believed in this principle her whole life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

信xìnbelieve
奉fèngrevere

信 (believe) and 奉 (revere) combine to mean hold as a belief.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánwords
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén信xìn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

信 pairs 人 as the sound part with 言 (words) as the meaning part.

Open 信 →

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
廾廾gǒngtwo hands
Sound part声符shēngfú
丰
丰fēng奉fèng
Same sound today

奉 pairs 丰 for the pronunciation with 廾, 'two hands', as the meaning part.

Open 奉 →
Appears in
Religion & Belief

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