Meaning of 神话
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- legend
- fairy tale
- myth
- mythology
How to use 神话
神话 is used for traditional myths and mythology, like Greek or Chinese myths. It can also describe something that seems too amazing to be true, such as a business success story. Example: 我喜欢看中国古代神话。(Wǒ xǐhuan kàn Zhōngguó gǔdài shénhuà.) I like reading ancient Chinese myths.
神 (shén) means god or spirit, and 话 (huà) means words or talk. Stories that people tell about gods are 神话, myths.
Common mistake: Learners often use 神话 for any children's story, but a fairy tale for kids is usually 童话 (tónghuà), while 神话 is about gods and heroes. Also keep the tones clear: shén is second tone and huà is fourth tone.
神话 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
神 shén · god · 9 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 9
话 huà · dialect · 8 strokes
- 1
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- 8
Related words
Words that share a character with 神话.
| 电话 | diànhuà | telephone; phone call |
| 说话 | shuōhuà | to speak; to say |
| 打电话 | dǎ diànhuà | to make a telephone call |
| 的话 | dehuà | if (coming after a conditional clause) |
| 讲话 | jiǎnghuà | a speech; to speak |
| 笑话 | xiàohua | joke; jest; to laugh at; to mock |
| 对话 | duìhuà | to talk (with sb); dialogue; conversation |
| 普通话 | pǔtōnghuà | Putonghua; standard Mandarin |
| 笑话儿 | xiàohuar | erhua form of 笑話|笑话[xiao4 hua5] |
| 精神 | jīngshén | spirit; mind |
| 谈话 | tánhuà | to talk (with sb); to have a conversation |
| 话题 | huàtí | subject (of a talk or conversation); topic |
Questions about 神话
What does 神话 mean?
神话 (shénhuà) means "legend; fairy tale" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 神话?
神话 is made of 2 characters: 神 (9 strokes), 话 (8 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 神话 an HSK word?
Yes. 神话 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 神话 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 神话 is written 神話.
What is the difference between 神话 and 传说?
神话 (shénhuà) focuses on gods, creation and supernatural beings. 传说 (chuánshuō) is a legend passed down about people, places or events, and it may have some basis in history.
Can 神话 mean something unbelievable?
Yes. In modern Chinese it can describe an amazing or unreal achievement, as in 创造神话 (chuàngzào shénhuà), to create a legend. It can also mean a myth in the sense of a false belief, as in 打破神话 (dǎpò shénhuà), to break a myth.