Refers to a Buddhist priest or monk, especially in historical or traditional contexts. The term 'bonze' is an older European term for a Buddhist monk.
That Buddhist priest chants sutras every morning.
layman dressed like a priest
Used for a person who is not a real priest but wears priest-like robes, often in historical or theatrical contexts.
He is dressed like a priest, but he is actually just a villager.
Noun suffix used in compounds to refer to a person, often with a nuance of a specialist or someone with a certain quality. Usually pronounced ぼうし in this usage.
The word 医者法師 is an old way of referring to a doctor.
坊主 is a casual, everyday word for a Buddhist priest (and can also mean 'boy' or 'bald head'), while 法師 is more neutral and often historical or literary.
Used when counting people in a formal or respectful way; this is the natural choice for priests as people.
shadow figure; silhouette
dwarf; midget; elf; Tom Thumb · Issun-bōshi (Japanese fairytale)
Buddhist nun
kousa dogwood; Japanese flowering dogwood
warrior monks of Enryaku-ji
Standard kanji spelling for the Buddhist priest sense and the layman-dressed-as-priest sense.
Kana spelling is acceptable, especially in casual or explanatory contexts.
From Middle Chinese 法師 (pjuwᴴ srij), meaning 'master of the Dharma'. The reading ほっし is an older form. The suffix usage with the reading ぼうし is a later development.
flowering dogwood