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基督徒 (Jī dū tú) — Christian (follower of Christianity)

Definition

noun
Christian (follower of Christianity)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 基督徒。
    Tā shì yí wèi qián chéng de Jī dū tú.
    He is a devout Christian.
  • 基督徒。
    Hěn duō Jī dū tú měi gè xīng qī tiān dōu qù jiào táng zuò lǐ bài.
    Many Christians go to church every Sunday to worship.
  • 基督徒。
    Tā dú le shèng jīng yǐ hòu chéng wéi le yì míng Jī dū tú.
    After reading the Bible, she became a Christian.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

基督Christ
基jī督dū
徒túfollower

基督徒 uses 基督 for Christ and 徒 for follower, naming a follower of Christ.

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
其
其qí基jī
Same sound today

The lower 土 means earth, and the upper 其 gives the sound; together they form the idea of a foundation of earth.

Open 基 →

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
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
叔
叔shū督dū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

督 pairs 目 (eye) with 叔, which gives the sound; the shape shows looking over or overseeing with eyes.

Open 督 →

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.

Open 徒 →
Appears in
Religion & Belief

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