持斋

持齋

chízhāi

verb

Meanings

1 to observe a religious fast
2 to keep to a vegetarian diet (Buddhist)
3 to abstain from meat

Characters

to hold, to keep

fast, vegetarian meal

Examples

奶奶初一十五都要持斋。

Nǎinai chūyī shíwǔ dōu yào chízhāi.

Grandma keeps a vegetarian fast on the first and fifteenth of every lunar month.

他皈依佛教后就开始持斋念佛。

Tā guīyī fójiào hòu jiù kāishǐ chízhāi niànfó.

After converting to Buddhism he began keeping the fast and chanting the Buddha's name.

Tips

culture

In Chinese Buddhism, 持斋 can mean a full vegetarian practice (长斋) or periodic fast days like 初一 and 十五 of the lunar month (花斋 / 六斋日). It overlaps with but is narrower than the broader 吃素.

Stroke Order

持 chí

斋 zhāi