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 character "斋", whose traditional form is "齋", originally conveyed the concept of ritual purification or solemn observance, often in a religious context, with its structural components reflecting this meaning through elements suggesting an altar and an act of reverence or uniformity. From this core idea of ritual cleanliness and mental focus, its semantic field broadened to denote both the physical space conducive to such activities, such as a study or a room for quiet contemplation, and the associated practice of abstaining from certain foods, particularly meat, as a form of purification. This expansion linked the character intrinsically to the realms of scholarly pursuit and vegetarianism, meanings which have persisted alongside its more ceremonial origins. The modern simplified form retains the essential conceptual core while streamlining the traditional character's more complex structure.
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。