How to Write 圣 (shèng) — Meaning “Holy; sacred; saint”

Imagine a holy person standing on sacred earth (土), and they raise their hand (又) again to bless the ground. The hand on top of the earth reminds you that holiness touches the ground, making it a sacred place.

The stroke order is: horizontal hook (from 又), then right-falling stroke (捺) for the top part, followed by three strokes for 土: horizontal, vertical, horizontal. Keep the top component 又 narrow and centered above the 土, and do not make the 土 too wide or tall.

土 (tǔ, earth) is just the radical alone with three strokes, while 圣 has an extra component 又 on top. 圤 (pǔ, a rare character for a type of soil) looks similar but has 卜 (divination) on top instead of 又. So remember: 圣 has a hand (又), 圤 has a fortune-telling mark (卜).

圣 appears in common words like 圣诞节 (Christmas, literally "holy birth festival") and 圣人 (sage, often referring to Confucius). 圣地 (holy land) can refer to sacred places like Jerusalem or important religious sites. In Chinese culture, 圣人 represents a person of great wisdom and virtue, deeply respected in Confucian tradition.

Common words containing 圣 include: 圣诞节 (shèng dàn jié) — Christmas; 圣地 (shèng dì) — Holy land; sacred place; 圣人 (shèng rén) — Sage; saint.