圣徒 (shèng tú) — saint; apostle (in Christianity) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

圣徒 refers to a holy follower of Christianity — broader than the 12 apostles, covering saints and devoted disciples throughout Church history.

noun

saintapostle (in Christianity)

Measure word · 个

Examples

圣徒。
Zhè wèi shèng tú yì shēng dōu zài bāng zhù qióng rén.
This saint spent his whole life helping the poor.
圣徒。
Jī dū jiào zǎo qī shèng tú men sì chù chuán jiào.
The early Christian apostles spread religion everywhere.
圣徒。
Zhè zuò chéng shì yǐ yí wèi shèng tú de míng zì mìng míng.
This city is named after a saint.

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.

徒túfollower

「圣」 adds holiness to 「徒」, giving a holy follower or apostle.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辵辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

土

土tǔ徒tú

Same sound today

徒 originally paired 辵, a walking sign, with 土 to show its sound. The shape later changed into 彳 and 走.

Appears in

Religion & Belief

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