持斋

持齋

chízhāi

verb

Meanings

1 to observe a religious fast
2 to keep to a vegetarian diet (Buddhist)
3 to abstain from meat

Characters

to hold, to keep

fast, vegetarian meal

Examples

HSK 5

奶奶初一十五都要持斋。

Nǎinai chūyī shíwǔ dōu yào chízhāi.

Grandma keeps a vegetarian fast on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month.

HSK 7-9

他皈依佛教后就开始持斋念佛。

Tā guīyī fójiào hòu jiù kāishǐ chízhāi niànfó.

After converting to Buddhism he began keeping the fast and chanting the Buddha's name.

Tips

culture

In Chinese Buddhism, 持斋 can mean a full vegetarian practice (长斋) or periodic fast days like 初一 and 十五 of the lunar month (花斋 / 六斋日). It overlaps with but is narrower than the broader 吃素.

Stroke Order

持 chí

斋 zhāi