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僧 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
僧sēngBuddhist priest, monkn, 14 strokes, radical 亻, rank #20164, Very Hard
僧sēngSangha, the Buddhist monastic orderunknown, 14 strokes, radical 亻, rank #20164, Very Hard
sēng(seng1) T1
  1. 1Buddhist priest, monk
  2. 2Sangha, the Buddhist monastic order
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March 24, 2026

僧sēng(seng1)

The character 僧 (sēng) refers to a Buddhist monk or priest who dedicates their life to religious practice and community service. It can also denote the monastic order or Sangha in Buddhism. This term is commonly used in contexts related to Buddhism, spirituality, and meditation.

Strokes14Radical亻Frequency#20164DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, monks are often seen as symbols of wisdom and spiritual guidance. The practice of monastic life is deeply rooted in Buddhism, which has influenced various aspects of Chinese philosophy, art, and literature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a monk (僧) sitting serenely in a temple, their calm presence radiating peace. The character has the radical for 'person' (亻) on the left, representing the monk's human aspect, while the right side relates to the concept of a 'monastic life.' Picture a 'sangha' gathering, where monks share wisdom and tranquility.

Meanings of 僧

sēng(seng1)
1Buddhist priest, monk
2Sangha, the Buddhist monastic order
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 僧

僧Simplified
14Strokes
亻Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 僧

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Podcast: 僧

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AI Study Notes for 僧

Quick Contrast

僧 (sēng) vs 和尚 (héshang) — use 僧 for a more formal or traditional reference to a monk, while 和尚 is more colloquial.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 僧 (sēng) with similar-sounding words like 嗯 (èng), which means 'uh' or 'um.' This term is generally used in formal contexts, such as religious discussions or texts. Common collocations include 僧侣 (sēnglǚ, 'monk') and 僧院 (sēngyuàn, 'monastery').

HSK Study Tips

Although 僧 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it can be associated with HSK Level 4 words related to religion and culture. Students should focus on understanding its role in Buddhist practices and its connections to other words like 寺庙 (sìmiào, 'temple').

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 僧 (sēng) with similar-sounding words. For example, saying 嗓 (sǎng, 'throat') instead of 僧 can lead to misunderstandings. Always remember that 僧 relates specifically to Buddhism.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 僧

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Etymology of 僧

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 曾 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

person

Semantic (meaning)亻
+
Phonetic (sound)曾
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 僧

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 曾 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half亻 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half曾 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayperson
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 僧? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 僧?

Decomposition of 僧

IDS Structure⿰亻曾
僧Full Character
=
亻ren2
left
曾ceng2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 僧?

How to say Buddhist priest, monk in Chinese

“Buddhist priest, monk” in Chinese is僧sēng

The character 僧 (sēng) refers to a Buddhist monk or priest who dedicates their life to religious practice and community service. It can also denote the monastic order or Sangha in Buddhism. This term is commonly used in contexts related to Buddhism, spirituality, and meditation.

When to use 僧

Be careful not to confuse 僧 (sēng) with similar-sounding words like 嗯 (èng), which means 'uh' or 'um.' This term is generally used in formal contexts, such as religious discussions or texts. Common collocations include 僧侣 (sēnglǚ, 'monk') and 僧院 (sēngyuàn, 'monastery').

僧 or something close to it

僧 (sēng) vs 和尚 (héshang) — use 僧 for a more formal or traditional reference to a monk, while 和尚 is more colloquial.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 僧 (sēng) with similar-sounding words. For example, saying 嗓 (sǎng, 'throat') instead of 僧 can lead to misunderstandings. Always remember that 僧 relates specifically to Buddhism.

Write 僧

僧

Practice writing 僧 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 僧

僧 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

那老____既聋且昏,又齿落舌钝,所答非所问.

The man proved to be deaf as well as dim - witted, for his mumbled answers were quite irrelevant.

Example Sentences for 僧 (4)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
那老僧既聋且昏,又齿落舌钝,所答非所问.

nà lǎo sēng jì lóng qiě hūn, , yòu chǐ luò shé, dùn , suǒ dá fēi.

The man proved to be deaf as well as dim - witted, for his mumbled answers were quite irrelevant.
2
他那苦行僧似的瘦脸反映出他正在冥思苦索.

tā nà kǔ háng sēng sì de shòu liǎn fǎn yìng chū tā zhèng zài míng sī kǔ suǒ.

His thin, ascetic face mirrows an intensity of thought.
3
布赖恩如同旋转舞蹈的托钵僧一样转来转去，一边拍打着蚊子一边抱怨不停。

bù lài ēn rú tóng xuán zhuǎn wǔ dǎo de tuō bō sēng yī yàng zhuǎn lái zhuǎn qù， ， yī biān pāi dǎ zháo wén zǐ yī biān bào yuàn bù。

Brian was whirling like a dervish, slapping at the mosquitoes and moaning.
4
他对僧侣们颇有微词，认为他们思想偏狭，自视清高。

tā duì sēng lǚ mén pō yǒu wēi cí， ， rèn wéi tā mén sī xiǎng piān， xiá ， zì shì。

He is critical of the monks, whom he considers narrow-minded and self-righteous.

Cultural Notes for 僧

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

While the concept of monks exists in both Chinese and Western cultures, the Chinese 僧 (sēng) emphasizes communal living and spiritual discipline, whereas Western monks often have a more individual focus on personal devotion and solitude.

Word Family of 僧

Words Containing This Character13
僧sēngmonk
僧侣monk僧侶
僧人sēngrénmonk
唐僧Xuanzang (602-664) Tang dynasty Buddhist monk and translator, who traveled to India 629-645
高僧a senior monk
贫僧poor monk (humble term used by monk of himself)貧僧
僧多粥少fig. not enough to go around
沙僧Sha Wujing
僧尼(Buddhist) monks and nuns
僧俗laymen
僧徒Buddhist monks
粥少僧多fig. not enough to go around
僧院abbey
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 僧 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 僧

In Chinese, 僧 typically refers to male monks; female monks are referred to as 僧尼 (sēngní).

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