神 shén — God; unusual; mysterious; soul; spirit; divine essence
他今天看起来很有精神。Tā jīn tiān kàn qǐ lái hěn yǒu jīng shen.He looks very energetic today.
Common words: 精神 (jīng shén)、神秘 (shén mì)、神话 (shén huà)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "soul"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "soul", including 神 (shén), 魂 (hún). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "soul" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 神 (shén), 魂 (hún) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shén, hún — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 神 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 神 shénGod; unusual; mysterious; soul; spirit; divine essenceUseful words: 精神, 神秘
- 魂 húnsoulUseful words: 灵魂, 还魂
Common words for these 2 "soul" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 神 (shén) — so "soul" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "soul".
魂 hún — soul
这首诗写得感人，触动了我的灵魂。Zhè shǒu shī xiě de gǎn rén, chù dòng le wǒ de líng hún.This poem is moving and touched my soul.
Common words: 灵魂 (líng hún)、还魂 (huán hún)、三魂 (sān hún)
All 2 characters
Open 神、魂 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.