<p>"Spiritual needs" is a typical word-to-word translation that is common in texts translated from Chinese but does not fit in the English context. You may consider other words such as "psychological" or "mental". </p>

<p>Similarly, for "物质需要", I think "physical needs" is better than "material needs".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-30T08:59:51.977Z
2012-05-30T08:59:51.977Z
Betty
<p>In Chinese when you see "精神" modifying nouns to form phrases such as "精神需要" and "精神文明", it just means the opposite side of their material counterpart such as "物质需要" and "物质文明".</p>

<p>So your translation of "spiritual" is correct, but you need to understand it from a different point of view as I stated above.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-23T01:06:07.563Z
2012-05-23T01:06:07.563Z
Derrick Zhang
<p>how about "needs of cultural goods"?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-31T17:06:47.177Z
2012-05-31T17:06:47.177Z
G.Z.
<p>This is an example sentence in my textbook:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"建立良好的人际关系，是每个社会人的精神需要"</p>
</blockquote>

<p>精神 is translated in the dictionary into "spirit, mind, consciousness". Here I believe it must be modifying 需要, which is acting as a noun.</p>

<p>Spiritual need? This translation seems right, but feels weird because nothing about "人际关系" (interpersonal relationships) is "spiritual" to me.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-22T13:49:02.060Z
精神 is often applied to things which we don't consider "spiritual" in English. Often 精神 means "spiritual" in opposition to materialistic, practical, etc. So interpersonal relationships are a "spiritual need" because they're not economic/material/etc.
Alf
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-22T23:31:15.310Z
What do you think about translating it as "non-material"? This clarifies that it isn't a physical need like housing, clothing, etc. but also leaves it broad enough that I can understand what the Chinese is getting at. The word "spiritual" is just confusing to me, I'm not even certain what it is supposed to mean in English, and I'm a native speaker.
aelephant
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-23T02:39:29.727Z
I am not going to post an answer as you've pretty much got it. *Non-material* is how I would have it.
deutschZuid
<meaning>
How can I translate "精神需要"?
# How can I translate "精神需要"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-05-22)

This is an example sentence in my textbook:

> "建立良好的人际关系，是每个社会人的精神需要"

精神 is translated in the dictionary into "spirit, mind, consciousness". Here I believe it must be modifying 需要, which is acting as a noun.

Spiritual need? This translation seems right, but feels weird because nothing about "人际关系" (interpersonal relationships) is "spiritual" to me.

**Tags:** meaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 精神 is often applied to things which we don't consider "spiritual" in English. Often 精神 means "spiritual" in opposition to materialistic, practical, etc. So interpersonal relationships are a "spiritual need" because they're not economic/material/etc.  
> **username_0**: What do you think about translating it as "non-material"? This clarifies that it isn't a physical need like housing, clothing, etc. but also leaves it broad enough that I can understand what the Chinese is getting at. The word "spiritual" is just confusing to me, I'm not even certain what it is supposed to mean in English, and I'm a native speaker.  
> **username_2**: I am not going to post an answer as you've pretty much got it. *Non-material* is how I would have it.  

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-05-30. Score: 3

"Spiritual needs" is a typical word-to-word translation that is common in texts translated from Chinese but does not fit in the English context. You may consider other words such as "psychological" or "mental".

Similarly, for "物质需要", I think "physical needs" is better than "material needs".


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### Answer by username_4 on 2012-05-23. Score: 1

In Chinese when you see "精神" modifying nouns to form phrases such as "精神需要" and "精神文明", it just means the opposite side of their material counterpart such as "物质需要" and "物质文明".

So your translation of "spiritual" is correct, but you need to understand it from a different point of view as I stated above.


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### Answer by username_5 on 2012-05-31. Score: 0

how about "needs of cultural goods"?


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