神

• Pinyin: shén
• Hanzi breakdown: 神 = 礻(spirit/altar) + 申 (extend)

Meaning

God; deity; spirit; divine; amazing.

A multifaceted word meaning deity/god, spirit/soul, or something miraculous/amazing. In modern slang, 神 describes someone with incredible skills (大神 - expert/guru). Also appears in compounds like 神话 (mythology), 精神 (spirit/energy), 神秘 (mysterious).

Examples

1. 中国神话里有很多关于神仙的故事。 Chinese mythology has many stories about gods and immortals.
2. 他打游戏简直是神，从来没输过。 He's a god at gaming — he's never lost.
3. 这道题我做了半天，被他一眼就看出答案，太神了。 I worked on this problem for ages, and he saw the answer at a glance — that's incredible.

Usage Guide

Context: religion, mythology, slang/compliment

Tone: varies

Do Say

• 你太神了！(You're amazing!)
• 希腊神话里有很多神。(Greek mythology has many gods.)

Don't Say

• 他是一个神人 when referring to a professional; in formal contexts, 神人 sounds too casual — use 专家 or 高手

Origin & History

Contains 礻(altar/spirit radical) and 申 (extend), originally referring to divine beings that extend their power from heaven.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal