Japanese word

坊主

Pronunciation

Romajibōzu

Meaning

  • nounmonk

Example

村の坊主さんが、お経を読んでいます。mura no bō zu sa n ga o kyō o yo n de i ma su

The village monk is chanting a Buddhist sutra.

Illustration for 坊主 (monk)

More examples

旅の途中で、親切な坊主さんに会いました。tabi no to chū de shin setsu na bō zu sa n ni a i ma shi ta

I met a kind monk during my journey.

Core concept

Describes a person devoted to Buddhist practice who serves in the religious life of a temple.

Common phrases

  • 坊主になるbō zu ni na ru

    become a monk

Similar words

お坊さんobōsan: A Buddhist religious practitioner addressed in a respectful and familiar way.
僧侶sōryo: A person devoted to Buddhist practice who performs religious work at a temple.
僧sō: A member of the Buddhist clergy who follows a religious life.

Definition in Japanese

出家して仏教の教えを学び、寺院で宗教的な務めをする人。shuk ke shi te buk kyō no oshi e o mana bi ji in de shū kyō teki na tsuto me o su ru hito

Word origin

坊主 (bōzu) is a compound of 坊 (bō, "temple quarters") and 主 (zu, "master"), reflecting the term's association with a monk serving at a temple.

Usage tips

  • In English, bonze is a historical word borrowed through Portuguese for a Buddhist priest, and it is related to Japanese 坊主 (bōzu).

Opposites

  • 在家zaikelaypersonnoun

Word lists with this word