僧
Buddhist priest, monk
Readings
On'yomi
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
僧 centers on a person who has dedicated their life to Buddhist practice: a monk or priest.
Most common words using 僧
20 of 104- 小僧こぞう
youngster; boy; kid; brat; lad
- 僧そうN1
monk; priest
- 僧侶そうりょN1
priest; monk; bonze
- 尼僧にそう
Buddhist nun
- 高僧こうそう
high priest; highly ranked priest
- 僧院そういん
monastery; temple
- 禅僧ぜんそう
Zen priest
- 僧職そうしょく
priesthood
- 僧兵そうへい
priest soldier; warrior monk
- 虚無僧こむそう
begging Zen priest of the Fuke sect (wearing a sedge hood and playing a shakuhachi flute)
- 名僧めいそう
noted priest; celebrated priest
- 僧正そうじょう
high Buddhist priest
- 大僧正だいそうじょう
high priest
- 若僧にゃくそう
young monk; boy monk
- 僧堂そうどう
temple meditation hall or certain other temple structures
- 僧籍そうせき
priesthood registry
- いたずら小僧いたずらこぞう
mischievous boy
- からかさ小僧からかさこぞう
karakasa-obake; umbrella ghost
- カメラ小僧カメラこぞう
photographer, usually an amateur, who likes to take pictures of models and presenter ladies in exhibitions
- 一つ目小僧ひとつめこぞう
one-eyed goblin; one-eyed monster
Study
Etymology
僧 combines 亻 (person) with 曾, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to a historical term for a monastic community. The character specifically denotes a Buddhist monk.
Meaning mnemonic
A person 亻 beside 曾, which looks like a layered altar or a monk's stacked belongings. Picture a monk standing beside his simple possessions.
Reading mnemonic
For ソウ, imagine a monk softly chanting 'soul' as he meditates: soul -> ソウ, and the monk's spirit is calm.