住持 (zhù chí) — abbot (of a Buddhist monastery or Daoist temple)

Definition

住持 (zhùchí) is the formal, set-phrase title for the head of a Buddhist monastery or Daoist temple. The two characters are not separable and the word is used as a title before a name.

noun
abbot (of a Buddhist monastery or Daoist temple)
Measure word · 位
Easily confused

Examples

  • 住持。
    Zhè wèi zhù chí zài sì miào lǐ zhù le èr shí nián.
    This abbot has lived in the temple for twenty years.
  • 住持。
    Xīn lái de zhù chí gěi xìn zhòng jiǎng le jīng.
    The new abbot preached sutras to the followers.
  • ，住持。
    Tā chū jiā sān shí nián, zuì hòu dāng le zhù chí.
    He became a monk for thirty years and finally became abbot.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

住zhùdwell
持chímaintain

住 means dwell and 持 means maintain, so one who dwells in and maintains a temple is its abbot.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ住zhù
Same sound today

住 pairs 亻, the person radical (written fully as 人), with 主, which supplies the sound.

Open 住 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
寺
寺sì持chí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

持 combines 手 (hand), for the idea of holding, with 寺, which gives the sound.

Open 持 →

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