出家 (chū jiā) — to become a monk or nun (in Buddhism), to enter monastic life

Definition

Literally 'leave the family/home,' 出家 means to become a Buddhist monk or nun and take up monastic life — a permanent religious commitment, not a temporary retreat.

verb
to become a monk or nun (in Buddhism)to enter monastic life

Examples

  • 出家，。
    Tā jué dìng chū jiā, qù sì miào xiū xíng.
    He decided to become a monk and cultivate at the temple.
  • ，。
    Tā yǐ jīng chū le jiā, bú zài huí jiā.
    He has already become a monk and no longer returns home.
  • 出家，。
    Tā chū jiā zhī hòu, fǎ háo jiào huì míng.
    After she became a nun, her Dharma name was Huiming.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

出chūleave
家jiāhome

Leaving the home (家) to enter monastic life.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

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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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

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