天主教

• Pinyin: tiān zhǔ jiào
• Hanzi breakdown: 天 = heaven; 主 = master, lord; 教 = 孝 + 攵 — teaching, religion

Meaning

Catholicism; the Catholic Church.

Refers specifically to Roman Catholicism, as distinct from 基督教 (Protestantism) in Chinese usage. Has a significant historical presence in China, especially in regions like Shanghai, Macau, and parts of Fujian.

Examples

1. 他从小在天主教家庭长大，每周日都会去教堂做弥撒。 He grew up in a Catholic family and attends Mass at church every Sunday.
2. 澳门有很多历史悠久的天主教教堂，其中大三巴牌坊最为著名。 Macau has many historic Catholic churches, with the Ruins of St. Paul's being the most famous.
3. 天主教传入中国已有四百多年的历史了。 Catholicism has been present in China for over four hundred years.

Usage Guide

Context: religion, history, culture

Tone: informative

Do Say

• 他信天主教。(He's Catholic.)
• 天主教教堂。(A Catholic church.)

Don't Say

• 把新教叫'天主教' (Don't call Protestantism 天主教 — in Chinese, 基督教 refers to Protestantism, while 天主教 is specifically Catholicism)

Origin & History

天主 means Lord of Heaven (God in Catholic terminology), 教 means religion or teaching — the religion of the Lord of Heaven.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal