Religion & Beliefs in Chinese 宗教和信仰
zōngjiào hé xìnyǎng
Religion in Chinese is 宗教 (zōng jiào).
Also searched for as: religion, beliefs, buddhism, christianity.
What do people believe? 15 essential religion & beliefs words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Religion in Chinese is 宗教 (zōng jiào), and personal faith or belief is 信仰 (xìn yǎng). These words let you talk respectfully about the many traditions found across the Chinese-speaking world, from 佛教 (Fó jiào), Buddhism, and 道教 (Dào jiào), Taoism, to Islam, Christianity and folk practices. You'll also need places of worship, such as 寺庙 (sì miào), a temple, and the everyday verb 信 (xìn), to believe in, which is how people usually say what religion they follow.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 宗教 | zōng jiào | religion |
| 信仰 | xìn yǎng | faith; belief |
| 佛教 | Fó jiào | Buddhism |
| 道教 | Dào jiào | Taoism |
| 伊斯兰教 | Yī sī lán jiào | Islam |
| 基督教 | Jī dū jiào | Christianity |
| 穆斯林 | Mù sī lín | Muslim |
| 寺庙 | sì miào | temple |
| 清真寺 | qīng zhēn sì | mosque |
| 教堂 | jiào táng | church |
| 祈祷 | qí dǎo | to pray |
| 烧香 | shāo xiāng | to burn incense |
| 和尚 | hé shang | Buddhist monk |
| 尊重 | zūn zhòng | to respect |
| 节日 | jié rì | religious festival; holiday |
Usage tips
- To say someone follows a religion, use 信 plus the religion: 她信佛教 (tā xìn Fó jiào). 你信教吗？ (nǐ xìn jiào ma?) means "Are you religious?", but it can feel personal, so it's best saved for people you know well.
- In everyday Chinese 基督教 (Jī dū jiào) usually means Protestant Christianity, while Catholicism is 天主教 (Tiān zhǔ jiào); both worship in a 教堂 (jiào táng).
- 清真 (qīng zhēn) also means halal, so look for 清真 on restaurant signs, as in 清真餐厅 (qīng zhēn cān tīng), a halal restaurant.
Common mistakes
- Saying 我是伊斯兰教 for "I'm Muslim" → say 我是穆斯林 (wǒ shì Mù sī lín) or 我信伊斯兰教 (wǒ xìn Yī sī lán jiào); likewise "I'm a Christian" is 我是基督徒 (wǒ shì Jī dū tú).
- Using 和尚 (hé shang) for every religious figure: it means a Buddhist monk, a Buddhist nun is 尼姑 (ní gū) and a Taoist priest is 道士 (dào shi) → and when speaking to a monk directly, the polite address is 师父 (shī fu).
Mini dialogue
- A这个周末你想去哪儿？Zhè ge zhōu mò nǐ xiǎng qù nǎr?Where do you fancy going this weekend?
- B听说山上有一座很老的寺庙，我们去看看吧。Tīng shuō shān shang yǒu yī zuò hěn lǎo de sì miào, wǒ men qù kàn kan ba.I've heard there's a very old temple on the mountain, let's go and see it.
- A好啊。在寺庙里可以拍照吗？Hǎo a. Zài sì miào li kě yǐ pāi zhào ma?Sure. Can you take photos at the temple?
- B外面可以拍，可是别拍烧香的人，要尊重别人。Wài miàn kě yǐ pāi, kě shì bié pāi shāo xiāng de rén, yào zūn zhòng bié rén.Outside is fine, but don't photograph people burning incense; you have to be respectful.
- A明白了。你信佛教吗？Míng bai le. Nǐ xìn Fó jiào ma?Got it. Are you a Buddhist?
- B我不信，但是我很喜欢那里安静的感觉。Wǒ bù xìn, dàn shì wǒ hěn xǐ huan nà li ān jìng de gǎn jué.No, but I love how peaceful it feels there.
Example sentences
- 中国有很多宗教。There are many religions in China.
- 每个人的信仰不一样。Everyone's beliefs are different.
- 佛教从印度传到中国。Buddhism came to China from India.
- 道教是中国本土的宗教。Taoism is a religion native to China.
- 他信伊斯兰教。He's a Muslim.
- 她信基督教。She's a Christian.
- 中国有两千多万穆斯林。China has over twenty million Muslims.
- 山上有一座寺庙。There's a temple on the mountain.
- 西安有一座很老的清真寺。There's a very old mosque in Xi'an.
- 周日他去教堂。He goes to church on Sundays.
- 他每天祈祷。He prays every day.
- 人们在寺庙里烧香。People burn incense at the temple.
- 和尚住在寺庙里。Monks live in temples.
- 我们要尊重别人的信仰。We should respect other people's beliefs.
- 每个宗教都有自己的节日。Every religion has its own festivals.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Religion & beliefs speaking island has 8 everyday questions about religion & beliefs to prepare your own answers to.