教堂 (jiào táng) — church (building for Christian worship)

Definition

noun

church (building for Christian worship)

Measure word · 座

教堂。
Wǒ men měi gè xīng qī tiān dōu qù jiào táng zuò lǐ bài.
We go to church every Sunday to attend service.
教堂。
Zhè zuò jiào táng yǐ jīng yǒu sān bǎi duō nián de lì shǐ le.
This church has a history of over three hundred years.
教堂。
Tā men zhèng zài jiào táng lǐ chàng gē.
They are singing inside the 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.

教jiàoreligion or teaching

「教」, meaning teaching or religion, joins 「堂」, meaning hall, to name a worship hall.

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

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.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

尚

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

堂 uses 土 as a ground/earth part and 尚 for sound.

Appears in