圣餐 (shèng cān) — Holy Communion; the Eucharist

Definition

Christian sacramental rite of bread and wine, symbolizing the body and blood of Jesus Christ. 领圣餐 ('to receive Communion') is the common verb phrase.

noun

Holy Communionthe Eucharist

，圣餐。
Měi gè xīng qī rì, xìn tú men dōu huì cān jiā shèng cān.
Every Sunday, the faithful attend Holy Communion.
圣餐。
shèng cān Xiàng zhēng zhe yē sū de shēn tǐ hé xuè.
Holy Communion symbolizes the body and blood of Jesus.
圣餐。
Tā dì yī cì zài jiào táng lǐng shèng cān shí fēi cháng gǎn dòng.
He was very moved when he first received Communion in church.

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.

The holy 圣 quality and the meal 餐 combine to name the sacred communion meal.

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.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

𣦼食餐

Meaning part形符xíngfú

食食shíto eat; meal; food

Sound part声符shēngfú

𣦼

𣦼𣦼餐cān

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

餐 combines 食, meaning food or eating, with 𣦼 as the sound part; it originally meant “to swallow.”

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