寺庙
sìmiào
In Chinese, the word for temple is 寺庙 (sìmiào).
寺庙 is a general term used to describe a place holding a religious presence. If you wish to describe a particularly grand temple, you can use the term 大寺庙.
Meaning: place holding a religious presence (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 寺庙 is a compound of two parts: 寺 (sì), which means a Buddhist temple or monastery and 庙 (miào), which means a temple or shrine.
Which one should you use?
While 寺庙 is a general term, the component 寺 (sì) specifically refers to Buddhist institutions, whereas 庙 (miào) often refers to shrines dedicated to specific deities or ancestors.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, you can use the word 廟 or the form 寺廟 to mean temple.
How do you pronounce it?
sìmiào
Did you know?
- A common cultural faux pas is to enter a 寺庙 through the center door. Visitors usually enter through the side doors because the center is reserved for spirits and deities.
- The character 寺 originally meant 'government office' during the Qin and Han dynasties. It only began to refer to Buddhist temples after the religion was introduced to China from India.
- Unlike Western churches, many Chinese 寺庙 are not dedicated to a single faith but function as syncretic spaces for Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.
Examples in context
- 汤姆被赶出寺庙了。Tom was driven out of the temple.This sentence is useful for showing someone being driven out of the temple using 寺庙.Tatoeba #13893675 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #5096500 by CarpeLanam
- 摧毁这个寺庙。Destroy this temple.This sentence is useful for giving a command to destroy a temple using 寺庙.Tatoeba #334125 by fucongcong, translation #58333 by Eldad
- 这个寺庙是何时造的？When was this temple built?This sentence is useful for asking about the construction date of a temple using 寺庙.Tatoeba #782740 by fucongcong, translation #61271 by CK
- 我们正在参观这座古老的寺庙。We are currently visiting this ancient temple.
- 这座庙堂是江南地区最重要的寺庙之一。This temple hall is one of the most important temples in the Jiangnan region.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Yuting are walking through an old town.
- 伟 Wei前面的那座寺庙很漂亮。Qiánmiàn de nà zuò sìmiào hěn piàoliang.The temple ahead is very beautiful.
- 雨婷 Yuting那是很有名的一座寺庙。Nà shì hěn yǒumíng de yī zuò sìmiào.That is a very famous temple.
- 伟 Wei你想进去看看吗？Nǐ xiǎng jìnqù kànkan ma?Do you want to go inside and look?
- 雨婷 Yuting好啊，我们走吧。Hǎo a, wǒmen zǒu ba.Sure, let's go.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
