钵 (bō) · small earthenware bowl or basin, monk's alms bowl

Measure Word

一个钵 gè

Meanings

1 small earthenware bowl or basin
2 monk's alms bowl
3 mortar (for grinding)

Characters

钵

bō

earthenware bowl; alms bowl; mortar

Examples

HSK 7-9

僧侣手持钵，沿街化缘。

Sēnglǚ shǒuchí bō, yán jiē huàyuán.

The monk held his alms bowl and went door to door collecting alms.

HSK 7-9

用乳钵将药材研磨成粉末。

Yòng rǔbō jiāng yàocái yánmó chéng fěnmò.

Use the mortar to grind the medicinal herbs into powder.

Tips

culture

钵 is most strongly associated with Buddhist practice - the 托钵 (begging bowl) is a symbol of monastic humility. In traditional Chinese medicine, 乳钵 (small mortar) is used to grind herbs.

Components

radical

钅 jīn

metal; gold (left-side radical form of 金)

Left-side metal radical, the side form of 金. Carries the meaning: a 钵 is a small metal or ceramic eating bowl, especially the Buddhist monk's alms bowl. Same indexing radical as 锅 pot, 银 silver, 钉 nail, 钱 money.

phonetic

本 běn

root; origin

Right side 本 supplies the sound - běn drifting to bō in an old phonetic series. The 'root, source' sense of 本 also lends a faint flavour of essentials: the monk's bowl is the root tool of monastic life. 钵 ultimately loans from Sanskrit pātra (begging bowl).