观世音 (Guān shì yīn) — Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion (also known as the Goddess of Mercy)

Definition

Guanyin is the Chinese Buddhist Bodhisattva of Compassion, also called the Goddess of Mercy. Avalokitesvara is the Sanskrit name; 观音 is the everyday shortened form.

noun
Guanyinthe Bodhisattva of Compassion (also known as the Goddess of Mercy)

Examples

  • 观世音。
    Hěn duō rén qù miào lǐ bài Guān shì yīn.
    Many people go to the temple to worship Guanyin.
  • 观世音。
    Guān shì yīn Shì fó jiào zhōng cí bēi de xiàng zhēng.
    Guanyin is a symbol of compassion in Buddhism.
  • 观世音。
    Zhè ge gù shi jiǎng de shì Guān shì yīn jiù rén de gù shi.
    This story is about Guanyin saving people.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

观guānobserve
世音sounds of the world
世shìworld音yīnsound
偏正Modifier + head

观 means observe and 世音 means sounds of the world, naming the compassionate listener.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 觀; 观 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
雚
雚guàn觀guān
Same sound today

The traditional form 觀 uses 見 (see) for meaning and 雚 for sound.

Open 观 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 世 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

音 adds a short stroke that seals the mouth-like part, showing a covered or muffled sound rather than speech.

Open 音 →

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