Simbahan

church; temple; house of worshipnoun

Alternative meanings

Church; a place of religious worship, especially Christian. It can also refer to the religious community or institution.

Pronunciation

sim-BAH-han

Root and affixes

Formed from simba, to attend Mass or worship, plus -han, which indicates a place. Simbahan means place of worship or church.

Variants or conjugations

iglesia = church; iglesya = spelling variant; balay alampoanan = house of prayer; mosimba = to attend Mass or worship

Related words and expressions

worship, priest, chapel, parish, prayer

Meaning and usage notes

Use simbahan for church as a building or religious community. Iglesia or iglesya are also understood, especially through Spanish influence.