寺

寺 U+5BFA, 寺 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-5BFA ← 对 [U+5BF9] CJK Unified Ideographs 寻 → [U+5BFB]

Translingual

Stroke order

Traditional	寺
Simplified	寺
Japanese	寺
Korean	寺

Han character

寺 (Kangxi radical 41, 寸+3, 6 strokes, cangjie input 土木戈 (GDI), four-corner 4034₁, composition ⿱土寸(GJKV) or ⿱士寸(HT))

Alternative forms

• Note that in Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese scripts, the top half of the character is 土 (instead of 士 as seen in Traditional Chinese), which is also the historical form found in the Kangxi Dictionary.

Derived characters

• 侍, 𠱾, 𭎒, 峙, 待, 持, 洔, 𮥂, 恃, 時(时), 㭙, 𭷅, 歭, 特, 畤, 𪿚, 秲, 𥩳, 𥹩, 𫊵, 𧠴, 𫸺, 詩(诗), 䝰, 跱, 𣊒, 𩶬, 𪀔, 鼭, 𫅌, 𪗺
• 邿, 𪰛, 𪧸, 䓁, 㫭, 等, 𫴶, 庤, 痔, 䦙

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 293, character 33
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 7414
• Dae Jaweon: page 581, character 8
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 503, character 11
• Unihan data for U+5BFA

Chinese

trad.		寺
simp. #		寺

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 寺
Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (寺) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
等	*tɯːʔ, *tɯːŋʔ
待	*dɯːʔ
寺	*ljɯs
持	*l'ɯ
峙	*dɯʔ
痔	*dɯʔ
跱	*dɯʔ
歭	*dɯʔ
洔	*dɯʔ, *tjɯʔ
畤	*dɯʔ, *tjɯʔ, *djɯʔ
秲	*dɯʔ, *djɯs
庤	*dɯʔ
時	*djɯ
鰣	*djɯ
塒	*djɯ
蒔	*djɯ, *djɯs
榯	*djɯ
恃	*djɯʔ
侍	*djɯs
詩	*hljɯ
邿	*hljɯ
特	*dɯːɡ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ljɯs): phonetic 𡳿 (OC *tjɯ, “to go”) + semantic 又 (“hand”) – to grasp, to hold. Phonetic 𡳿 (之), which represents a footprint pointing up, became 土 or 士 in the clerical script from the late Western Han to the Eastern Han, and semantic 又 become 寸 in Small Seal Script. The derivative 持 (OC *l'ɯ) refers to the original word.

The character was often used in the place of a more specialized form. For example, in the Chu Silk Manuscript (see table above) it clearly stood for 時 (OC *djɯ, “season”).

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): sì (si⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄙˋ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): сы (sɨ, III)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): zi⁶ / zi^6-2

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): du⁵ / du^5*

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): sṳ

  (Hailu, HRS): sii^˖

  (Meixian, Guangdong): si⁴

• Eastern Min (BUC): sê
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): si⁵
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): sī / sū / sīr

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ri⁷

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶zy

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sì
    • Zhuyin: ㄙˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sìh
    • Wade–Giles: ssŭ⁴
    • Yale: sz̀
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: syh
    • Palladius: сы (sy)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁵¹/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: сы (sɨ, III)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁴⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: zi⁶ / zi^6-2
    • Yale: jih / jí
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzi⁶ / dzi^6-2
    • Guangdong Romanization: ji⁶ / ji^6-2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː²²/, /t͡siː²²⁻³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: du⁵ / du^5*
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tu³²/, /tu³²⁻³²⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sṳ
    • Hakka Romanization System: sii
    • Hagfa Pinyim: si⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /sɨ⁵⁵/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: sii^˖
    • Sinological IPA: /sɨ³³/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: si⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /sz̩⁵³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: sê
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɛi²⁴²/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian, Jiangkou, Nanri)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: si⁵
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: sī
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬi¹¹/
  • (Xianyou, Fengting)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: si⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɬi²¹/
  • (Youyang)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: si⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /θi²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sī
    • Tâi-lô: sī
    • Phofsit Daibuun: si
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /si³³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /si⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /si²²/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sū
    • Tâi-lô: sū
    • Phofsit Daibuun: su
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /su³³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /su²²/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sīr
    • Tâi-lô: sīr
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /sɯ⁴¹/

Note:

• sī - vernacular;
• sū/sīr - literary.

• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: ri⁷
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: jī
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /d͡zi¹¹/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶zy
    • MiniDict: zy^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³zr
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /zz̩²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: ziH

Rime
Character	寺
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	邪 (17)
Final (韻)	之 (19)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	祥吏切
Baxter	ziH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/zɨH/
Pan Wuyun	/zɨH/
Shao Rongfen	/zieH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/zɨH/
Li Rong	/ziəH/
Wang Li	/zĭəH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/ziH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	sì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	zi6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*s-[d]əʔ-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ljɯs/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	寺
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	sì
Middle Chinese	‹ ziH ›
Old Chinese	/*s-[d]əʔ-s/
English	hall
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	寺
Reading #	1/1
No.	12030
Phonetic component	寺
Rime group	之
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	寺
Old Chinese	/*ljɯs/
Notes	說文之聲，文源雲象手持

Definitions

寺

1. (historical) government court; office (before the Han dynasty)

   大理寺  ―  Dàlǐsì  ―  Court of Judicature and Revision

2. (Buddhism) temple; monastery

   白馬寺／白马寺  ―  Báimǎsì  ―  White Horse Temple

   少林寺  ―  Shàolínsì  ―  Shaolin Monastery

   哲蚌寺  ―  Zhébàngsì  ―  Drepung Monastery

3. place of worship; shrine

   清真寺  ―  qīngzhēnsì  ―  mosque

   仙鶴寺／仙鹤寺  ―  Xiānhèsì  ―  Crane Mosque

   西敏寺  ―  Xīmǐnsì  ―  Westminster Abbey

4. (obsolete) Original form of 持 (chí, “to hold; to grasp”).
5. a surname

Usage notes

Not used for places of worship of Taoism and Chinese folk religion.

Synonyms

• (temple):

edit

• 佛寺 (fósì) (Buddhist temple)
• 佛教堂 (Philippine Hokkien)
• 和尚寺 (Puxian Min)
• 宮廟 / 宫庙 (Hokkien, Teochew)
• 寶剎 / 宝刹 (bǎochà) (Buddhist temple)
• 寺廟 / 寺庙 (sìmiào)
• 尪廟 / 尪庙 (Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 山門 / 山门 (shānmén)
• 廟 / 庙 (miào)
• 廟宇 / 庙宇 (miàoyǔ)
• 廟寺 / 庙寺 (Taiwanese Hokkien)
• 梵宇 (fànyǔ) (literary, Buddhist temple)
• 禪寺 / 禅寺 (chánsì) (Buddhist temple)
• 禪房 / 禅房 (chánfáng) (Buddhist temple)
• 禪林 / 禅林 (chánlín) (Buddhist temple)
• 禪院 / 禅院 (chányuàn) (Buddhist temple)

Compounds

• 佛寺 (fósì)
• 光祿寺 / 光禄寺
• 化度寺碑
• 南菊寺 (Nánjúsì)
• 古寺
• 團山寺 / 团山寺 (Tuánshānsì)
• 地藏寺
• 大招寺
• 大理寺
• 大相國寺 / 大相国寺
• 太常寺 (Tàichángsì)
• 婦寺 / 妇寺 (fùsì)
• 安福寺 (Ānfúsì)
• 寒山寺
• 寶月寺 / 宝月寺 (Bǎoyuèsì)
• 寺人 (sìrén)
• 寺卿
• 寺坪 (Sìpíng)
• 寺庫 / 寺库
• 寺廟 / 寺庙 (sìmiào)
• 寺舍
• 寺院 (sìyuàn)
• 少林寺 (Shàolínsì)
• 左溪寺 (Zuǒxīsì)
• 布達拉寺 / 布达拉寺
• 庵寺
• 慈恩寺
• 普救寺
• 普濟寺 / 普济寺
• 棘寺
• 水月寺 (Shuǐyuèsì)
• 法源寺
• 法門寺 / 法门寺
• 清真寺 (qīngzhēnsì)
• 炳靈寺 / 炳灵寺
• 白馬寺 / 白马寺 (Báimǎsì)
• 監寺 / 监寺
• 知寺
• 破山寺
• 碧雲寺 / 碧云寺 (Bìyúnsì)
• 福田寺 (Fútiánsì)
• 禪寺 / 禅寺 (chánsì)
• 禮拜寺 / 礼拜寺 (lǐbàisì)
• 紅寺堡 / 红寺堡 (Hóngsìbǔ, “Hongsibu”)
• 紅岩寺 / 红岩寺 (Hóngyánsì)
• 花林寺 (Huālínsì)
• 蕭寺 / 萧寺
• 藏寺
• 西敏寺 (Xīmǐnsì)
• 貂寺
• 都寺
• 金山寺
• 門古寺 / 门古寺 (Méngǔsì)
• 閽寺 / 阍寺
• 閹寺 / 阉寺 (yānsì)
• 雲林寺 / 云林寺
• 章田寺 (Zhāngtiánsì)
• 顓褚寺 / 颛褚寺 (Zhuānchǔsì)
• 鴻臚寺 / 鸿胪寺
• 麓山寺碑
• 龍山寺 / 龙山寺 (Lóngshānsì)
• 龍藏寺碑 / 龙藏寺碑

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (寺):

• → Japanese: 寺(じ) (ji)
• → Korean: 사(寺) (sa)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): shì, sì (shi⁴, si⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄕˋ, ㄙˋ

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, Mainland)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: shì
    • Zhuyin: ㄕˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: shìh
    • Wade–Giles: shih⁴
    • Yale: shr̀
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shyh
    • Palladius: ши (ši)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʂʐ̩⁵¹/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sì
    • Zhuyin: ㄙˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sìh
    • Wade–Giles: ssŭ⁴
    • Yale: sz̀
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: syh
    • Palladius: сы (sy)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁵¹/

Definitions

寺

1. (obsolete) internal court official, especially a eunuch

Further reading

• “寺”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• 李如龙 [Li, Ru-long]; 刘福铸 [Liu, Fu-zhu]; 吴华英 [Wu, Hua-ying]; 黄国城 [Huang, Guo-cheng] (2019), “寺”, in 莆仙方言调查报告 [Investigation Report on Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 164.