圣 shèng holy
holy; sacred; sage
How it came to be
The full form is an ear and a mouth over a standing figure: somebody who hears what is said and answers wisely, a holy man. Simplified, it became a hand over earth.
How it is used
- Holy/sagely: 神圣 (shénshèng) sacred, 圣人 (shèngrén) a sage, 圣诞节 (Shèngdàn jié) Christmas.
- In classical contexts 圣 marks the Confucian sage; in modern religious/loan contexts it marks 'holy/saint' (圣经 the Bible).