jiào táng
church; cathedral; chapel
我在教堂里祈祷。
Wǒ zài jiàotáng lǐ qídǎo.
I pray in the church.
教堂的钟声响了。
Jiàotáng de zhōngshēng xiǎngle.
The church bell rang.
教堂里有很多美丽的壁画。
Jiàotáng lǐ yǒu hěnduō měilì de bìhuà.
There are many beautiful murals in the church.
寺庙 (sìmiào)
temple
清真寺 (qīngzhēnsì)
mosque
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The Chinese word 教堂 (jiàotáng) for "church" is derived from the Portuguese word "igreja", which was introduced to China by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century. The word "igreja" is itself derived from the Latin word "ecclesia", which means "assembly" or "congregation". The Chinese characters 教堂 literally mean "teaching hall", reflecting the church's role as a place of religious instruction and worship. The first character 教 (jiào) means "to teach" or "to instruct", while the second character 堂 (táng) means "hall" or "chamber". Together, the two characters convey the idea of a place where religious teachings are imparted.
