神 (shén): God, god, deity, supernatural, magical, mysterious
神 (shén) is a Chinese character meaning “god.” Classified as HSK Level 5 (HSK 3.0 Standard, CLEC 2022), it is composed of 礻 (semantic) and 申 (phonetic). It ranks #227 in character frequency (SUBTLEX-CH corpus).
Etymologically derived, 神 spirit. Its radical form 礻 (spirit) appears in many related characters such as 票 (piào, ticket), 视 (shì, (literary, or bound form) to look at), 示 (shì, to show).
Definitions
- God
- god
- deity
- supernatural
- magical
- mysterious
Etymology & Origin
Stroke Order
Practice writing 神 with real-time feedback — trace each stroke in the correct order and build muscle memory in the HanziFeed app.
Words & Compounds
HSK Vocabulary with 神
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 精神noun/adjective | jīng shén | spirit | 5 |
| 神经noun | shén jīng | nerve | 6 |
| 神秘adjective | shén mì | mysterious | 5 |
| 神奇adjective | shén qí | magical | 6 |
| 神话noun | shén huà | legend | 5 |
Common Compounds
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 神父noun | shén fu | Catholic or Orthodox priest |
| 神像noun | shén xiàng | likeness of a god or Buddha |
| 眼神 | yǎn shén | expression or emotion showing in one's eyes |
| 神圣adjective | shén shèng | divine |
| 精神病 | jīng shén bìng | mental disorder |
| 女神noun | nǚ shén | goddess |
| 神经病 | shén jīng bìng | mental disorder |
| 死神noun | sǐ shén | mythological figure (such as the Grim Reaper) in charge of taking the souls of those who die |
| 精神病院 | jīng shén bìng yuàn | mental hospital |
| 神经质 | shén jīng zhì | nervous |
| 神灵noun | shén líng | god |
| 神志noun | shén zhì | consciousness |
| 守护神noun | shǒu hù shén | protector God |
| 神殿noun | shén diàn | shrine |
| 神明noun | shén míng | deities |
神 appears in 118 compound words: 47 as the first character, 47 as the last, and 7 in a middle position. Compound statistics computed from SUBTLEX-CH and HSK 3.0 vocabulary data.
Strongest Collocations
Characters that most frequently co-occur with 神 in natural Chinese text, ranked by NPMI (Normalized Pointwise Mutual Information) — a statistical measure of association strength.
Idioms & Chengyu (67)
to display one's remarkable skill or prowess; to give full play to one's brilliant abilities
superlative craftsmanship; supernaturally fine craft (as if done by the spirits)
demons and gods at work (idiom); unexplained event crying out for a supernatural explanation; curious coincidence
to be mentally deranged; insane; delirious; mental derangement; insanity; amentia; psychosis
to display one's remarkable skill or prowess; to give full play to one's brilliant abilities
to be mentally deranged; insane; delirious; mental derangement; insanity; amentia; psychosis
superlative craftsmanship; supernaturally fine craft (as if done by the spirits)
Showing 12 of 67 idioms containing 神.
Example Sentences
神字的写法很特别，让我印象深刻。
shén zì de xiě fǎ hěn tè bié , ràng wǒ yìn xiàng shēn kè .
The character for "god" has a very distinctive writing style that left a deep impression on me.
眼镜店老板:钦佩神韵揭露迫害的勇气和智慧
yǎn jìng diàn lǎo bǎn : qīn pèi shén yùn jiē lù pò hài de yǒng qì hé zhì huì
Optical shop owner: Admire Shen Yun's courage and wisdom in exposing persecution
神韵展现对神的信仰 令牙医“深受鼓舞”
shén yùn zhǎn xiàn duì shén de xìn yǎng lìng yá yī shēn shòu gǔ wǔ
Shen Yun shows faith in God and makes dentists "deeply encouraged"
前州教育高官:神韵复兴传统的使命了不起
qián zhōu jiào yù gāo guān : shén yùn fù xīng chuán tǒng de shǐ mìng le bù qǐ
Former state education official: Shen Yun's mission to revive tradition is remarkable
神韵德州麦克艾伦满场 市长赞震撼人心
shén yùn dé zhōu mài kè ài lún mǎn chǎng shì cháng zàn zhèn hàn rén xīn
Shen Yun Texas McAllen was full of mayors' praises
公司老板钦佩神韵复兴传统:极具教育意义
gōng sī lǎo bǎn qīn pèi shén yùn fù xīng chuán tǒng : jí jù jiào yù yì yì
Company owners admire Shen Yun for reviving traditions: very educational
肯已经在神户住了多久？
Kěn yǐjīng zài Shénhù zhù le duōjiǔ?
How long has Ken lived in Kobe?
你不觉得这个名字很讽刺吗，「神圣的战争」？
Nǐ bù juéde zhège míngzi hěn fěngcì ma,「 shénshèng de zhànzhēng 」?
Don't you think the name "The Sacred War" sounds a bit sarcastic?
神迹称作神迹是因为它们从不发生！
Shénjì chēngzuò shénjì shì yīnwèi tāmen cóngbù fāshēng!
Miracles are called miracles because they never happen!
看那些踢球的队员们！他们真是全神贯注啊！
Kàn nàxiē tī qiú de duìyuán men! tāmen zhēnshi quánshénguànzhù ā!
Look at those guys play! They’re really getting stuck in!
Character Family
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 神 (shén) mean in Chinese?
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What are common words containing 神?
What characters sound the same as 神 (shén)?
Is 神 the same in simplified and traditional Chinese?
Practice writing 神 with real-time feedback
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