寺 (sì) · temple (Buddhist); monastery

Measure Word

一座寺 zuò

Meanings

1 temple (Buddhist); monastery
2 mosque (in 清真寺)

Characters

寺

sì

temple; monastery

Examples

HSK 5

山上有一座古寺。

Shānshàng yǒu yī zuò gǔ sì.

There is an ancient temple on the mountain.

HSK 5

他每年都去寺里烧香。

Tā měinián dōu qù sì lǐ shāoxiāng.

He goes to the temple to burn incense every year.

HSK 7-9

少林寺是中国最有名的寺庙。

Shàolínsì shì Zhōngguó zuì yǒumíng de sìmiào.

Shaolin Temple is the most famous temple in China.

Tips

usage

寺 usually refers to Buddhist temples. For Daoist temples, use 观 (guàn) or 道观. 清真寺 (qīngzhēn sì) = mosque. Common compound: 寺庙 (sìmiào) = temple (general).

Components

radical

寸 cùn

inch; rule

Inch radical at bottom - pictograph of a hand with a thumb-pulse-point marker - represents measured action and lawful authority. Same radical drives 封 (confer), 射 (shoot), 尊 (honor), 寿 (longevity), all involving formal hand gestures or measured procedures.

semantic

土 tǔ

earth; soil

Top 土 in the original Shang form was 之 (foot/go), graphically simplified to 土 by Han times. The original meaning of 寺 was a government office where officials went to handle matters; only later did it shift to Buddhist temple after the Han dynasty welcomed monks at the 鸿胪寺 office.