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达赖喇嘛 (Dá lài lǎ ma) — the Dalai Lama (Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader)

Definition

The Dalai Lama: the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, a politically sensitive term in mainland China. News and official discussion of him are tightly restricted.

noun
the Dalai Lama (Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader)

Examples

  • 达赖喇嘛。
    Dá lài lǎ ma Shì zàng chuán fó jiào de yí wèi zhòng yào zōng jiào lǐng xiù.
    The Dalai Lama is an important religious leader in Tibetan Buddhism.
  • 达赖喇嘛。
    Zhōng guó guān fāng rèn wéi Dá lài lǎ ma bù zhǐ shì zōng jiào rén wù.
    Chinese authorities believe the Dalai Lama is not merely a religious figure.
  • 达赖喇嘛。
    Guān yú Dá lài lǎ ma de xīn wén zài zhōng guó shòu dào yán gé guǎn lǐ.
    News about the Dalai Lama is strictly regulated in China.

Origin

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
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
大
大dà达dá
Same sound today

This form 达 pairs 辶 (written in full as 辵) with 大 as a sound component.

Open 达 →

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 賴; 赖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèicowry
Sound part声符shēngfú
剌
剌là賴lài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 賴 uses 貝 (a cowry) for profit and 剌 for the sound; the simplified 赖 is a shorthand.

Open 赖 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 喇 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 嘛 →
Appears in
Identity & TitlesReligion & Belief

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