聖人

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 聖人(せいじん) refers to a person of exceptional virtue or someone revered in a religious context.
• Basic usage: It is used for figures associated with teachings or when someone is idealized.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The homophone 成人
  • 成人 is also read せいじん, but means an adult or reaching adulthood.
• A figurative evaluation
  • 聖人のように扱う means treating someone like a saint. Here it is a comparison, not a statement that the person holds an actual religious status.