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How to say 'Monk' in Japanese | 僧

Wondering how to say 'Monk' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Monk is 'Sou', written as 僧 in Japanese.'Monk' in hiragana is そう.

    word

    Meaning

    Monk

    Reading

    そう

    sou

    Kanji

    Bonze, Buddhist priest

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '僧 (そう)' refers to a Buddhist monk, a person who has dedicated their life to religious practice and often lives in a monastery. This term is used in the context of Buddhism and is associated with spiritual and ascetic practices. For example: The monk is meditating「僧が瞑想している」(そうがめいそうしている). I saw a monk at the temple「お寺で僧を見た」(おてらでそうをみた). The term can also be used in compound words, such as '僧侶 (そうりょ)' which also means 'monk' or 'clergy'.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N1

    Kanji Grade

    7

    Frequency

    3867

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Bonze, Buddhist priest

Words Related to Through the Kanji

This Word contains the Kanji 僧 as well.

  • word

    僧侶

    Meaning

    Monk

Learn the Word

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What does 'Sou' (僧) mean?

'Sou' means 'Monk' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.