僧 meaning and stroke order
Buddhist priest, monk
How to write 僧, stroke by stroke
14 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 僧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) Buddhist monk (abbr. for 僧伽[seng1 qie2])
How 僧 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 曾 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 僧
僧 is a person 亻 next to 曾 (céng), which gives the sound. Picture a person who has once (曾) left ordinary life behind to become a monk.
僧 is a bound form, so it usually appears inside words like 僧人 (sēngrén), 僧侣 (sēnglǚ) and 高僧 (gāosēng) rather than alone. In everyday speech people more often say 和尚 (héshang) for a monk. Example: 这座寺里住着很多僧人。(Zhè zuò sì lǐ zhùzhe hěn duō sēngrén.) Many monks live in this temple.
Common mistake: Learners often read 僧 as céng or zēng because of the 曾 part, but it is sēng, first tone. Also do not confuse it with 憎 (zēng, to hate), which has the heart radical 忄 instead of the person radical 亻.
Common words with 僧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 僧人 | sēngrén | monk | HSK 7-9 |
| 僧侣 | sēnglǚ | monk | |
| 高僧 | gāosēng | a senior monk |
僧 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 僧
How many strokes are in 僧?
僧 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 僧 mean?
僧 (sēng) means Buddhist priest, monk. A common word with it is 僧人 (sēngrén), meaning "monk".
How do you pronounce 僧?
僧 is pronounced sēng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 僧?
The radical of 僧 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 僧 under this radical.
Is 僧 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 僧 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 僧 and 和尚?
Both mean a Buddhist monk. 和尚 (héshang) is the common spoken word, while 僧 and 僧人 sound more formal or written. 僧侣 (sēnglǚ) can also refer to monks or clergy as a group.
Can 僧 be used for nuns or non-Buddhist clergy?
僧 is mainly used for Buddhist monks. A Buddhist nun is usually called 尼姑 (nígū). In translations, 僧侣 is sometimes used for monks of other religions, such as Christian monks.