喇嘛

lǎma

noun #29,631

Measure Word

一位喇嘛 wèi

Meanings

1 lama (spiritual teacher in Tibetan Buddhism)
2 Buddhist monk of Tibetan tradition

Characters

phonetic; (used in loanwords)

phonetic; (used in loanwords)

Phonetic transliteration from Tibetan 'bla-ma'; both syllables here carry their loanword reading, with 嘛 toneless.

Examples

HSK 7-9

达赖喇嘛是藏传佛教的最高领袖。

Dálài Lǎma shì Zàngchuán Fójiào de zuìgāo lǐngxiù.

The Dalai Lama is the highest leader of Tibetan Buddhism.

HSK 7-9

寺庙里的喇嘛每天清晨诵经。

Sìmiào lǐ de lǎma měitiān qīngchén sòngjīng.

The lamas in the monastery chant sutras every morning.

Tips

culture

喇嘛 is a loanword from Tibetan 'bla-ma' (supreme one). Not all Tibetan monks are lamas - the title is reserved for recognized teachers and reincarnated masters (活佛, huófó). The 嘛 here is the toneless transliteration syllable, not the rising-tone má reading.

Stroke Order

喇 la

嘛 ma