Learn Chinese Characters 111 神

By Caren Zuo

神(shén)

神 （supernature）= 礻（a semantic part meaning "pray or respect"）+
                              申（a phonetic part meaning supernatural being)

The character "神" was created after "申". We have learned that "申" originally means supernatural beings such as God or Ghost. Later the character "申" attained the meaning "to apply", which had been set as the dominant usage. In order to avoid a mix-up, a new character "神" was created to refer to "supernatural beings."

Useful Phrases:
神仙(shén xiān) superatural beings, immortals

神气(shén qì) in high spirits 

神奇(shén qí) maraculous, magic