聖 (shèng) - Sage, saint, holy, sacred — refers to someone & also used to describe things of divine or

聖Tone 4

shèng ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

上姝

聖 · shèng

Sage, saint, holy, sacred — refers to someone of great wisdom and moral virtue;

also used to describe things of divine or supreme nature.

Sage, saint, holy, sacred — refers to someonealso used to describe things of divine or

Usage highlights

sage personholy scripturesacred landsaintly virtuedivine wisdomholy spirit

Synonyms

  • 贤— virtuous, worthy
  • 哲— wise, sage

Antonyms

  • 凡— ordinary, common
  • 俗— secular, vulgar

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Confucius is revered as a sage (圣人).
  • This is a holy scripture (圣经).
  • He achieved sainthood (圣徒).
  • The emperor was considered sacred (圣上).

Collocations

  • sage person(圣人)
  • holy scripture(圣经)
  • sacred land(圣地)
  • saintly virtue(圣德)
  • divine wisdom(圣智)
  • holy spirit(圣灵)

Idioms

  • The sage has no constant heart(圣人无常心)
  • The divine dragon sees head but not tail(神龙见首不见尾)
  • To become a Buddha immediately(立地成佛)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Confucianism, 'sage' refers to one who has attained the highest moral and intellectual perfection.
  • In Daoism, 'sage' denotes one who has achieved harmony with the Dao and acts with effortless action.
  • In Buddhism, 'sage' can refer to an enlightened being or arhat.
  • Historically used to refer to emperors and other figures of supreme authority.

FAQ