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本堂 (ほんどう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Meanings 1
noun
main hall (of a Buddhist temple)
Refers specifically to the central building of a Buddhist temple where the principal image is enshrined and ceremonies are held. Not used for Shinto shrines or other religious buildings.
ど
時じ
代だい
に
建た
て
られ
た
。
The temple's main hall was built in the Edo period.
Similar words 金こん 堂どう 金堂 is the main hall in a Buddhist temple complex, often used in older or larger temples, while 本堂 is the more common modern term.
拝はい 殿でん 拝殿 is the worship hall of a Shinto shrine, not a Buddhist temple.
Etymology Compound of 本 (hon, 'main') and 堂 (dō, 'hall'). The reading is on'yomi, reflecting its Sino-Japanese origin.
