天使

tiānshǐ

Traditional: 天使

#1428 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

angel

Word origin

A compound of 天 (tiān, heaven, sky) and 使 (shǐ, messenger, envoy), so a messenger from heaven, the calque used for the Western angel.

Origin
compound
Root
天 (tiān, heaven) + 使 (shǐ, messenger)

Stroke order

Stroke order for 天

Stroke order for 使

使

Examples

The children drew a lovely angel.

shànliáng

She is as kind as an angel.

shǒu

There is a guardian angel in the story.

Angels often appear in Western paintings.

Everyone says this nurse is an angel in white.

天使 (tiān shǐ) means angel, literally a heavenly messenger, used both for the religious figure and figuratively for a kind or pure person. The phrase 白衣天使 (angel in white) is a common nickname for nurses.

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This word is part of lesson 29.