Question
I am Saeed from Iran. I am so glad to send you an email. I have a question about differences between a "cathedral" and a "church?" Are they the same?
Answer
This is a great question, Saeed!
A "church"is a building used by Christians for their religious（宗教的）services. Because there are many different Christians, there are many different kinds of churches.
A "cathedral" is one kind of Christian church. However, a "cathedral" is the main church for an area under the direction of a bishop, a high-level church leader, in the Roman Catholic faith. Other Christian groups might also call large churches cathedrals. There are many famous cathedrals around the world like Notre Dame in Paris, St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow, and the Cathedral of Brasilia in Brazil's capital.
A "temple" is another form of religious building. "Temple" is the English language word for religious centres in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. Temples are places of prayer or worship. Sometimes, people who observe Reform Judaism call their religious centres "temples".
A "mosque" is a place for Muslims to pray. Women and men usually have separate places to pray within the same building. Muslim holidays and marriages are observed in mosques. "Synagogues" are Jewish places of worship. They are for prayer and religious services, ceremonies and study.
These are not the only places of worship as there are many different religions in the world. If you know of a religious centre or place of prayer or worship, we have not named, please write to us in the comments below!
Please let us know if these explanations and examples helped you, Saeed!
What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish @ ooanews.com .
