方丈

fāngzhàng

noun #52,884

Measure Word

一位方丈 wèi

Meanings

1 abbot (of a Buddhist or Daoist monastery)
2 abbot's chamber

Characters

square, direction

zhang (unit of length), elder

Examples

HSK 7-9

少林寺的方丈是寺院的最高负责人。

Shàolínsì de fāngzhàng shì sìyuàn de zuìgāo fùzérén.

Shaolin Temple's abbot is the monastery's top authority.

HSK 7-9

方丈亲自接待了来访的客人。

Fāngzhàng qīnzì jiēdài le láifǎng de kèrén.

The abbot personally received the visiting guests.

Tips

history

Originally meant a room of one square 丈 (zhàng, about 3.3 meters), the quarters of the head monk at a Chan/Zen monastery. By extension the word came to mean the head monk himself.

culture

Also used metaphorically in business/media for the 'boss' of a prominent institution, playfully - e.g. 电竞圈方丈.

Stroke Order

方 fāng

丈 zhàng