Chinese word

神

Pronunciation

Pinyinshén

Meaning

  • noungod

Example

他们相信有神。tā men xiāng xìn yǒu shén

They believe there is a god.

Illustration for 神 (god)

More examples

她在寺庙里向神祈祷。tā zài sì miào lǐ xiàng shén qí dǎo

She prays to god in the temple.

Core concept

A figure or presence credited with powers beyond ordinary human ability, extending naturally to anyone or anything outstanding.

Common phrases

  • 信仰神xìn yǎng shén

    believe in god

  • 崇拜神chóng bài shén

    worship god

  • 向神祈祷xiàng shén qí dǎo

    pray to god

Similar words

上帝shàng dì: The single highest creator worshipped in Christianity and other monotheistic faiths.
神灵shén líng: An invisible spirit thought to live in nature, certain places, or ancestors.
神仙shén xiān: An immortal person or being with supernatural powers in Daoism and related traditions.
神明shén míng: A polite general term for a god or spirit respected in religious belief.

Definition in Chinese

既可指宗教或民间信仰中的神明，也常作比喻指才华、能力或运气极其出众的人或事物。jì kě zhǐ zōng jiào huò mín jiān xìn yǎng zhōng de shén míng yě cháng zuò bǐ yù zhǐ cái huá néng lì huò yùn qì jí qí chū zhòng de rén huò shì wù

Word origin

神 (shén, "god; spirit") developed from the idea of a worshipped supernatural presence to a broader word for an exceptional power or person.

Usage tips

  • In everyday speech, this word can sound like enthusiastic exaggeration, much like calling someone a genius or a legend in English, but it is not automatically a formal religious claim.

Other meanings

  • spiritnoun

Opposites

  • 凡人fán rénmortalnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word