圣经 (Shèng jīng) — the Bible (Christian scripture) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

the Bible (Christian scripture)

Measure word · 本

Examples

圣经。
Tā měi tiān zǎo chén dōu huì dú yí duàn Shèng jīng.
He reads a passage from the Bible every morning.
圣经。
Zhè běn Shèng jīng shì wǒ zǔ mǔ liú gěi wǒ de.
This Bible was left to me by my grandmother.
圣经。
Jiào táng lǐ fàng zhe yì běn hěn dà de Shèng jīng.
There is a very large Bible placed in the church.

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.

经jīngscripture

圣 means holy and 经 means scripture, giving the Holy Bible.

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 經; 经 is its simplified writing.

糹巠經

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糹Written in full as糸mìsilk; thread

Sound part声符shēngfú

巠

巠jīng經jīng

Same sound today

The traditional form 經 combines 糹 (silk; thread) with 巠, which gives the sound.

Appears in

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