Kanji 坊 boy, priest's residence, priest Related words 庫く 裏り 庫裏 refers specifically to the kitchen and living quarters of a temple, often including the abbot's residence, while 僧坊 is a more general term for monks' living quarters.
僧そう 堂どう 僧堂 is a meditation hall or monks' hall, primarily for practice, whereas 僧坊 is for living and sleeping.
Written forms 僧そう 坊ぼう Usage 52%
Standard kanji spelling for a priest's living quarters in a temple.
僧そう 房ぼう Usage 48%
Variant kanji spelling using 房 (room/chamber) instead of 坊 (monk's quarters).
Etymology Compound of 僧 (monk) and 坊 (monk's quarters, boy). The spelling 僧房 uses 房 (room, chamber) with a similar meaning. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used in Japanese Buddhist contexts for centuries.
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