The kanji 聖 primarily conveys the ideas of "holy," "sacred," "saint," "sage," or "virtuous." It often implies a state of moral purity, divine connection, or exceptional wisdom. It suggests something that is set apart, revered, and often associated with religious or spiritual contexts.

・On-yomi (音読み): セイ (sei) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ひじり (hijiri)

⚫︎聖書 Translation: Bible ⚫︎聖人 Translation: Saint; holy person ⚫︎聖地 Translation: Holy land; sacred place

The kanji 聖 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The top part is a variation of the character 耳 (みみ - ear), and the bottom part is 王 (おう - king, ruler). The sound element, 耳, suggests hearing, listening, and therefore, understanding of divine messages. The meaning element, 王 (king), represents power and authority. This combination implies a person who is both wise and listens to divine messages, thus embodying the qualities of a sage or a saint. Over time, the form of the top part evolved, but the underlying meaning remained.