HSK · Level 57
105 words
Chinese word
和尚
Pronunciation
Pinyinhé shàng
Meaning
- nounmonk
Example
孩子问：和尚为什么剃头？hái zi wèn hé shàng wèi shén me tì tóu
A child asks, "Why does a monk shave his head?"
More examples
寺里，和尚每天早上念经。sì lǐ hé shàng měi tiān zǎo shàng niàn jīng
At the temple, a monk chants sutras every morning.
Core concept
A robed Buddhist temple figure recognized as part of a male monastic tradition.
Common phrases
出家当和尚chū jiā dāng hé shàng
become a monk
和尚念经hé shàng niàn jīng
a monk chants sutras
Similar words
僧人sēng rén: A Buddhist monastic who lives at a temple and takes part in religious practice or temple work.
僧侣sēng lǚ: A formal collective term for Buddhist monastics as a group.
出家人chū jiā rén: A person who leaves worldly life and becomes a Buddhist monastic.
法师fǎ shī: A title for a Buddhist monk who teaches religious ideas or leads Buddhist ceremonies.
Definition in Chinese
对佛教出家僧人的通称，多指剃发、着袈裟并在寺院履行僧务的男性僧侣，也可作为对僧人的敬称。duì fó jiào chū jiā sēng rén de tōng chēng duō zhǐ tì fà zhe jiā shā bìng zài sì yuàn lǚ xíng sēng wù de nán xìng sēng lǚ yě kě zuò wéi duì sēng rén de jìng chēng
Word origin
和尚 (héshàng, "monk") is not a literal combination of the two characters but a phonetic rendering of an Indic Buddhist title meaning teacher or preceptor.
Usage tips
- Because this term names a religious role rather than a hairstyle or costume, a shaved head or robe alone is not enough evidence for using it.
Opposites
- 俗人sú rénlaypersonnoun
Related words
- 小和尚xiǎo hé shàngyoung monknoun
- 老和尚lǎo hé shàngold monknoun