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僧

Priest
Stroke count: 13

Readings

On readingソウ
JLPT level: N1JōyōGrade 8Level 18

Meanings

  1. priest
  2. buddhist priestRtK
  3. monk
    彼は僧侶に近い禁欲生活をしている。He practices austerities almost like a monk.tatoeba
    当時は修道僧達が修道院でよくテニスをしていた。Monks used to play tennis in monasteries.tatoeba
  1. sangha (the Buddhist community)

Homonyms

ⓘ
Same reading (そう)
双 · pair想 · conception総 · whole沿う · to run along添う · to meet (wishes, expectations, etc.)

Radicals and components

Radical人person亻variant
Components
How it's built
僧
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Mnemonic (RtK)

ⓘ

buddhist priest · person (人) · increase · formerly · horns · rice field (田) · brains · sun (日) · day (日)

From "Remembering the Kanji" by James Heisig · Frame 1057

Compound words

僧院そういん
monastery; temple
高僧こうそう
high priest; highly ranked priest; virtuous priest; priest of great sanctity and learning
小僧こぞう
youngster; boy; kid; brat; lad
禅僧ぜんそう
Zen priest
僧侶そうりょ
priest; monk; bonze
尼僧にそう
Buddhist nun; Catholic nun; sister
悪僧あくそう
dissolute priest
下僧げそう
low-rank priest
学僧がくそう
learned priest pursuing his studies
軍僧ぐんそう
chaplain
菰僧こもそう
mendicant Zen priest of the Fuke sect
師僧しそう
priestly teacher
僧庵そうあん
priest's hermitage
僧寺そうじ
Buddhist priest
僧尼そうに
monks and nuns
伴僧ばんそう
priests assisting at a Buddhist service
梵僧ぼんそう
monk (esp. one who maintains his purity)
阿僧祇あそうぎ
a number so great it can never be counted to
虚無僧こむそう
begging Zen priest of the Fuke sect (wearing a sedge hood and playing a shakuhachi flute)
膝小僧ひざこぞう
kneecap
悪戯小僧いたずらこぞう
mischievous boy
僧庵生活そうあんせいかつ
hermit life
声の仏法僧こえのぶっぽうそう
Eurasian scops owl (Otus scops)
洟垂れ小僧はなたれこぞう
snot-nosed kid

Additional Examples

彼はよく近所の腕白小僧たちをののしったものだ。
He would swear at the naughty boys in the neighborhood.tatoeba
尼僧はお祈りをして十字を切った。
The nun prayed and crossed herself.tatoeba

Stroke Order

13 strokes

Monk. 亻 (person) + 曽 — someone who has become a monk.

Practice Writing

Practice Writing 僧

Draw with a guide, then from memory — checked at every step