Chinese character for spirit: 精神 (jīngshén)
The Chinese word for spirit is 精神 (jīngshén). It means spirit in the sense of mind, morale and vitality, as in team spirit or a spirited person. For the soul, Chinese uses 灵魂 (línghún).
How 精神 is built
精 (jīng) joins 米 (mǐ, rice) with 青 (qīng) for the sound; it first meant polished, fine rice and so came to mean essence. 神 (shén) joins 礻, the altar radical, with 申 (shēn), an old picture of lightning that also gives the sound, and means spirit or divine. Together, 精神 is the essence and spark of a person. Both characters are identical in simplified and traditional Chinese.
精 jīng · essence
- 米mǐ — uncooked rice
- 丷ha — kwukyel
- 丶 — dot
- 木mù — tree
- 十 — ten
- 八bā — eight
- 丷ha — kwukyel
- 青qīng — nature's color
- 龶 — top part
- 月yuè — moon; month
- 冂 — frame
- 二 — two strokes
Origin hint: 米 gives the meaning, 青 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
神 shén · god
- 礻shì — spirit/altar
- 卜bo — divination
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 丶 — dot
- 卜bo — divination
- 申shēn — to report
- 日rì — sun; day
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 日rì — sun; day
Origin hint: 礻 gives the meaning, 申 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
How 精神 is used
Other ways to say spirit
- 灵魂 línghún — the soul
- 气 qì — vital energy
Before you use it as a tattoo or design: 精神 means mental spirit or vigor, not a ghost or spirit being, so check that this is the meaning you want.
Questions
What is the Chinese character for spirit?
精神 (jīngshén) means “spirit”.
How do you pronounce 精神?
精神 is pronounced jīngshén.