Definitions
(noun)
study room; Buddhist temple; monastery
(verb)
to fast; to maintain a vegetarian diet
(verb)
to give alms to monks
Etymology phono-semantic
culture
Semantic:
文
About
The traditional character 齋 is structured with the semantic component 示, relating to rituals or spirits, and the phonetic component 齊. It originally denoted the act of fasting or purification conducted before sacrificial ceremonies. Over centuries, its meaning extended to encompass a vegetarian diet and then the room or building used for such rituals, evolving further to signify a study or scholarly retreat. The simplified form 斋, built from the components 文 and 而, is a graphic simplification that retains the core concept.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
这顿斋饭很好吃。
我的书斋有很多书。
她为了健康开始吃斋。
在寺庙里，人们通常吃斋饭。
斋月期间他们斋戒。
斋戒不仅是一种宗教行为，也是一种养生方式。
每逢斋月，穆斯林信徒都会严格遵守斋戒的规定。
在古代，学者们常常在幽静的书斋中潜心研究经典著作。