そう
JLPT:N1
Frequency:
1

A Buddhist monk or priest; a religious practitioner who lives in a temple, performs rituals, or engages in training.

Noun

Examples

寺の僧が朝のお勤めをしていた。

A monk at the temple was conducting the morning service.

若い僧が毎日座禅の稽古をしている。

A young monk practices zazen every day.

古い寺には多くの僧が暮らしていた記録が残っている。

Records show that many monks used to live in the old temple.

2

An abbreviation for sangha: the Buddhist community of monks; used in some contexts to refer to the monastic community.

NounAbbreviation

Examples

古典仏教の文献では『僧』が僧伽を指すことがある。

In classical Buddhist texts, 'sō' (僧) can refer to the sangha.

Word Relationships

Synonyms