剃度

tìdù

verb #53,493

Meanings

1 to take the tonsure
2 to shave one's head and become a Buddhist monk or nun
3 tonsure

Characters

cross over / deliver (Buddhist)

Examples

HSK 7-9

他二十岁时在少林寺剃度出家。

Tā èrshí suì shí zài Shàolínsì tìdù chū jiā.

At twenty he took the tonsure and became a monk at Shaolin Temple.

HSK 7-9

剃度仪式由方丈亲自主持。

Tìdù yíshì yóu fāngzhàng qīnzì zhǔchí.

The tonsure ceremony was personally presided over by the abbot.

Tips

culture

剃 (tì - 'shave') + 度 (dù - 'cross over, deliver from suffering'): the shaved head marks the moment a layperson is 'ferried across' to monastic life. Often paired with 出家 ('leave the household').

Stroke Order

剃 tì

度 dù