斋 meaning and stroke order
To fast, to abstain; a vegetarian diet
How to write 斋, stroke by stroke
10 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 斋
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to fast or abstain from meat, wine etc
- vegetarian diet
- study room
- building
- to give alms (to a monk)
- old variant of 齋|斋[zhai1]
How 斋 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Culture.
文 gives the meaning.
Radical: 文 (culture), shared by 7 characters on this site.
How to remember 斋
斋 puts 文 (wén, culture, writing) on top of 而 (ér). Picture a scholar of 文 sitting quietly in a study room, keeping a simple, meatless diet to stay pure and focused.
斋 appears in words about fasting and vegetarian food, such as 吃斋 (chī zhāi, to eat a vegetarian diet for religious reasons), and in old names for studies or shops, like 书斋 (shūzhāi, study room). Example: 他每个月初一吃斋。(Tā měi gè yuè chūyī chī zhāi.) He eats vegetarian on the first day of every lunar month.
Common mistake: Learners often write the top as 立 or 亠 alone. The top is 文, so it needs the crossing strokes of 文. Also, do not confuse 斋 (zhāi) with 摘 (zhāi, to pick). They share the same sound but have different meanings.
Common words with 斋
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 斋戒 | zhāijiè | to observe a religious fast; to abstain from food or certain activities before a ritual |
斋 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 斋
How many strokes are in 斋?
斋 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 斋 mean?
斋 (zhāi) means to fast, to abstain; a vegetarian diet. A common word with it is 斋戒 (zhāijiè), meaning "to observe a religious fast; to abstain from food or certain activities before a ritual".
How do you pronounce 斋?
斋 is pronounced zhāi, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 斋?
The radical of 斋 is 文, which carries the idea of "culture". Dictionaries list 斋 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 斋?
The traditional form of 斋 is 亝 and 齋. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 斋 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why do so many old shops and restaurants in China have 斋 in their names?
斋 traditionally meant a study or a refined building, so it gives a name a cultured, classical feel. Many tea houses, bookshops, and vegetarian restaurants use it, for example 荣宝斋 (Róngbǎozhāi) in Beijing.
What does 斋月 mean?
斋月 (zhāiyuè) is the Chinese word for Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. It shows that 斋 covers religious fasting in general, not only Buddhist vegetarian practice.