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How to say 'Monk' in Japanese | 坊さん

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

The Japanese word for Monk is 'Bousan', written as 坊さん in Japanese.'Monk' in hiragana is ぼうさん.

    Meaning

    Monk

    Reading

    ぼうさん

    bousan

    Kanji

    Boy, Sonny

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '坊さん (ぼうさん)' refers to a Buddhist monk. This term is commonly used in everyday conversation to address or refer to a monk in a respectful yet informal manner. It is often used by laypeople when speaking about or to a monk. For example: The monk is kind「坊さんは優しい」(ぼうさんはやさしい). I saw the monk at the temple「お寺で坊さんを見た」(おてらでぼうさんをみた). The term carries a sense of familiarity and respect, and it is widely understood in Japanese culture.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    Unknown

    Kanji Grade

    7

    Frequency

    7330

    Composition

    kanji-hiragana

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 坊さん

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Boy, Sonny

Hiragana in the Word 坊さん

This word contains 2 Hiragana characters :

  • hiragana

    Reading

    Sa
  • hiragana

    Reading

    N

Words Related to 坊さん Through the Kanji

These 5 Words contain the Kanji 坊 as well.

  • word

    寝坊

    Meaning

    Oversleeping

  • word

    Meaning

    Boy

  • word

    お坊さん

    Meaning

    Monk

  • word

    赤ん坊

    Meaning

    Baby

  • word

    坊主

    Meaning

    Monk, Bald

Learn the Word 坊さん

Let's make sure you fully understand this word.

What does 'Bousan' (坊さん) mean?

'Bousan' means 'Monk' .

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