坊ぼうさん

ぼ

う

さ

ん

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

Buddhist priest; monk

familiar languagehonorific or respectful (sonkeigo)

A familiar but respectful everyday term for a Buddhist priest or monk. It is less formal than 僧侶 and often less polite than お坊さん.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉の坊ぼうさんthe monk of a certain temple/place
近きん所じょのお寺てらの坊ぼうさんに相そう談だんした。
I consulted the monk at the temple near my house.
坊ぼうさんを呼よぶto call/summon a monk (for a funeral or ceremony)
お葬そう式しきのために坊ぼうさんを呼よんだ。
We called a monk for the funeral.
坊ぼうさんになるto become a monk
彼かれは若わかいころ坊ぼうさんになった。
He became a monk when he was young.

Kanji

坊boy, priest's residence, priest

Related words

僧そう侶りょN1sense 1
僧侶 is the formal, neutral word for a Buddhist priest used in news and official writing, while 坊さん is the familiar everyday word.
坊ぼうやN2sense 2
坊や is the more common affectionate term for a young boy, while 坊さん in this sense sounds old-fashioned or teasing.
お坊ぼうさんN1
坊さん is a blunter, less polite way to say お坊さん, dropping the honorific お- prefix.
禅ぜん僧そう
坊さん is a casual, everyday word for a Buddhist monk of any sect, while 禅僧 is a more formal term specific to Zen Buddhism.
和お尚しょう
坊さん is a casual, everyday way to refer to a monk, while 和尚 is more formal and used as a title of respect.

Politeness

お坊ぼうさんpolite 丁寧語N1sense 1
お坊さん is a softer, slightly more polite everyday term for a Buddhist priest, while 坊さん is more blunt and casual.

Don't confuse with

坊ぼう主ずN1sense 1
坊主 can mean a monk or a shaved head and often carries a rougher or teasing tone, whereas 坊さん is the plain familiar word for a monk.

Counted with

人にん
The everyday counter for people: 一人 (ひとり), 二人 (ふたり), 三人 (さんにん).
名めいN2
More formal than 人 — used for headcounts in reservations, staff lists, and announcements (5名様).

Word family

お坊ぼうさんN1
Buddhist priest; monk · someone else's son

Etymology

坊 is conventionally associated with Buddhist monks or monastic quarters, and さん is the familiar respectful suffix. It functions as a familiar respectful noun rather than a highly formal title.