TongTong
Sign in

僧侣 (sēng lǚ) — clergy, monks and priests

Definition

Formal word for members of the Buddhist clergy (monks and nuns), measured with the honorific 位. It is more literary than everyday terms and refers specifically to Buddhist religious figures, not Christian priests.

noun
clergymonks and priests
Measure word · 位

Examples

  • 僧侣。
    Zhè zuò sì miào lǐ de sēng lǚ měi tiān dōu yào jìn xíng zǎo kè.
    The monks in this temple hold morning prayers every day.
  • ，僧侣。
    Zhōng shì jì de ōu zhōu, sēng lǚ yōng yǒu hěn dà de quán lì.
    In medieval Europe, the clergy had great power.
  • 僧侣。
    Xǔ duō sēng lǚ yì shēng dōu guò zhe jiǎn pǔ de shēng huó.
    Many clergy members live a simple life all their lives.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

僧sēngmonk
侣lǚcompanion

僧 names monks and 侣 names companions; together they refer to clergy.

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rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
曾
曾céng僧sēng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left 亻 shows a person, and the right 曾 supplies the sound, so 僧 marks a kind of person.

Open 僧 →

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 侶; 侣 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺅Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
呂
呂lǚ侶lǚ
Same sound today

The traditional form 侶 is made from 人 (person) and 呂; 人 gives the companion meaning and 呂 gives the sound.

Open 侣 →
Appears in
Religion & Belief

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.