基督教 (Jī dū jiào) — Christianity | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

Christianity

Examples

基督教。
Tā cóng xiǎo zài Jī dū jiào de jiā tíng zhǎng dà.
He grew up in a Christian family.
基督教。
Zhōu mò hěn duō rén qù jiào táng cān jiā Jī dū jiào de lǐ bài.
Many people go to church on weekends to attend Christian worship.
基督教。
Jī dū jiào De jié rì bāo kuò shèng dàn jié hé fù huó jié.
Christian holidays include Christmas and Easter.

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.

基督Christ

音译Transliteration

教jiàoreligion

基督 spells the name of Christ and 教 means religion, so it names that faith.

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.

其土基

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.

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

叔目督

Meaning part形符xíngfú

目目mùeye

Sound part声符shēngfú

叔

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.

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

子子zǐchild

攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority

Sound part声符shēngfú

爻

爻yáo教jiào

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

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

Appears in

Religion & Belief

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