坊
boy, priest's residence, priest
Readings
On'yomi
- ボウ
- ボッ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
坊 centers on a place or person associated with a religious residence: a priest's living quarters, and by extension the priest himself. The 'boy' meaning is a later application, often used affectionately for a young male attendant or child.
Most common words using 坊
20 of 112- 坊主ぼうずN1
Buddhist priest; bonze
- 坊ぼう
bonze; monk
- 赤ん坊あかんぼうN4
baby; infant
- 寝坊ねぼうN4
sleeping in late; oversleeping
- 坊さんぼうさんN2
Buddhist priest; monk
- 坊やぼうやN2
boy; son; child
- 桜ん坊さくらんぼ
cherry (fruit; esp. of the sweet cherry, Prunus avium)
- 坊ちゃんぼっちゃんN2
(another's) son; boy; young master
- 甘えん坊あまえんぼう
wheedling child; spoiled child; pampered child; child who always demands attention
- 食いしん坊くいしんぼう
glutton; gourmand
- 坊っちゃんぼっちゃん
Botchan (1906 novel by Natsume Sōseki)
- 丸坊主まるぼうず
close-cropped head; shaven head
- 三日坊主みっかぼうずN1
person who cannot stick to anything; unsteady worker; monk for three days
- 御坊ごぼう
temple; monk's quarters
- 朝寝坊あさねぼうN1
sleeping late in the morning; sleeping in; lie-in; oversleeping
- 海坊主うみぼうず
umibōzu; sea yōkai, resembling a huge bald-headed black figure; sea monster; sea goblin
- のっぺら坊のっぺらぼう
flat and smooth
- 宿坊しゅくぼう
visitor's or pilgrims' lodgings in a temple; priest's quarters
- 風来坊ふうらいぼう
wanderer; vagabond; capricious person; hobo
- 本因坊ほんいんぼう
Hon'inbō; Honinbo; grandmaster
Study
Etymology
坊 combines 土 (earth) and 方 (direction/side), originally referring to a walled or earthen enclosure, later extended to a priest's residence or quarter. The 'boy' sense likely developed from the idea of a young attendant in such a place.
Meaning mnemonic
Picture a walled earthen compound (土) in a certain direction (方) — that's the priest's residence. The young boy sweeping the grounds is the 坊.
Reading mnemonic
For ボウ, imagine a bowing priest at the residence: bow -> ボウ, and the priest bows as the boy watches.