Definition

Noun: * Sign of the Cross: A sacred gesture in Christianity, typically made by touching the forehead, chest, and then each shoulder while saying a prayer. It is a physical act of blessing, prayer, and profession of faith.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trước khi cầu nguyện, cô ấy làm dấu thánh. (Before praying, she made the sign of the cross.)
  • Đứa trẻ học cách làm dấu thánh từ bà của nó. (The child learned how to make the sign of the cross from its grandmother.)

Advanced Usage

• "làm dấu thánh": This is the standard verb phrase meaning "to make the sign of the cross." It is almost always used with the verb "làm."
  • Người Công giáo thường làm dấu thánh khi bước vào nhà thờ. (Catholics often make the sign of the cross when entering a church.)

Variants and Related Words

• Dấu (noun): Can mean a mark, sign, or stamp in a general, non-religious context.
• Thánh (adjective/noun): Holy; a saint. This word is used in many other religious terms (e.g., - the Bible, - holy land).

Synonyms

• Cử chỉ Thánh giá: This is a more formal or descriptive synonym, literally meaning "gesture of the Cross." It is less common in everyday speech than "dấu thánh."

Related Idioms/Phrases

• "Nhân danh Cha, và Con, và Thánh Thần. Amen.": This is the Trinitarian formula ("In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.") spoken while making the sign of the cross. The action and the words are intrinsically linked.

1. Sign of the cross
   • Làm dấu thánh
     To makethe sign of the cross, to cross