寺 (sì): temple (Buddhist); monastery

Measure Word

一座寺 zuò

Meanings

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

Characters

寺

si

temple; monastery

Examples

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.

山上有一座古寺。

Shānshàng yǒu yī zuò gǔ sì.

There is an ancient temple on the mountain.

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.

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.