also: てんじん
Zen monk's early morning meal; refreshment; cakes
In a Zen Buddhist context, refers to the simple meal taken early in the morning, often consisting of rice gruel and pickles. More broadly, can refer to light refreshments or small cakes served with tea.
At the Zen temple, they sit in meditation after the morning meal.
At the tea gathering, nerikiri sweets were served as refreshments.
dim sum; simple Chinese food
Refers to Chinese-style small dishes, especially dim sum, often served in steamer baskets or small plates. In Japanese usage, it can also mean simple Chinese home-style cooking.
We went around eating dim sum in Yokohama's Chinatown.
He learned how to make simple Chinese dishes in China.
Standard kanji spelling; reading てんしん is more common for both senses.
Alternate reading; less common and may be considered non-standard.
From Chinese 點心 (diǎnxīn), originally meaning 'light refreshment' or 'snack'. The Zen Buddhist usage developed in Japan, while the dim sum sense reflects the original Chinese meaning.