菩薩

See also: 菩萨

Chinese

		phonetic
trad. (菩薩)		菩	薩
simp. (菩萨)		菩	萨

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): púsà
(Zhuyin): ㄆㄨˊ ㄙㄚˋ
(Chengdu, SP): pu² sa¹
Cantonese (Jyutping): pou⁴ saat³
Gan (Wiktionary): pu² sat
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): phù-sat
(Meixian, Guangdong): pu² sad⁵
Min Dong (BUC): bù-sák
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): phô͘-sat
(Teochew, Peng'im): pu⁵ sag⁴
Xiang (Wiktionary): pu² sa⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: púsà → púsa (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Zhuyin: ㄆㄨˊ ㄙㄚˋ → ㄆㄨˊ ˙ㄙㄚ (toneless final syllable variant)
  - Tongyong Pinyin: púså
  - Wade–Giles: pʻu²-sa⁵
  - Yale: pú-sa
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: pwu.sah
  - Palladius: пуса (pusa)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰu³⁵ sä⁵¹/ → /pʰu³⁵ sä³/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: pu² sa¹
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: pusa
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰu²¹ sa⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: pou⁴ saat³
  - Yale: pòuh saat
  - Cantonese Pinyin: pou⁴ saat⁸
  - Guangdong Romanization: pou⁴ sad³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰou̯²¹ saːt̚³/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: pu² sat
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰu²⁴ sat̚²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: phù-sat
  - Hakka Romanization System: puˇ sad`
  - Hagfa Pinyim: pu² sad⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /pʰu¹¹ sat̚²/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: pu² sad⁵
  - Sinological IPA: /pʰu¹¹ sat̚¹/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: bù-sák
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu⁵³⁻²¹ ^(s-)lɑʔ²⁴/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: phô͘-sat
  - Tâi-lô: phôo-sat
  - Phofsit Daibuun: phosad
  - IPA (Xiamen): /pʰɔ²⁴⁻²² sat̚³²/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /pʰɔ²⁴⁻²² sat̚⁵/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /pʰɔ¹³⁻²² sat̚³²/
  - IPA (Taipei): /pʰɔ²⁴⁻¹¹ sat̚³²/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /pʰɔ²³⁻³³ sat̚³²/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: pu⁵ sag⁴
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: phû sak
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰu⁵⁵⁻¹¹ sak̚²/
Xiang
- (Changsha)
  - Wiktionary: pu² sa⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰu¹³ sa̠²⁴/

Middle Chinese: /buo sɑt̚/

Rime
Character	菩	薩
Reading #	1/4	1/1
Initial (聲)	並 (3)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	模 (23)	寒 (63)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I
Fanqie	薄胡切	桑割切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/buo/	/sɑt̚/
Pan Wuyun	/buo/	/sɑt̚/
Shao Rongfen	/bo/	/sɑt̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/bɔ/	/sat̚/
Li Rong	/bo/	/sɑt̚/
Wang Li	/bu/	/sɑt̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/bʱuo/	/sɑt̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	pú	sa
Expected Cantonese Reflex	pou⁴	saat³

Etymology 1

Short for 菩提薩埵／菩提萨埵 (pútísàduǒ), itself from Sanskrit बोधिसत्त्व (bodhi-sattva, “enlightened existence”) or Pali bodhisatta.

Noun

菩薩

(Buddhism) bodhisattva
(figuratively, sometimes ironic) kind-hearted person; kind and charitable person

Synonyms

(bodhisattva): 摩訶薩埵／摩诃萨埵 (móhēsàduǒ), 菩提薩埵／菩提萨埵 (pútísàduǒ)

Derived terms

Derived terms from 菩薩

四大菩薩／四大菩萨
土地菩薩／土地菩萨 (tǔdì púsà)
土菩薩過江／土菩萨过江
地藏王菩薩／地藏王菩萨 (Dìzàngwáng Púsà)
地藏菩薩／地藏菩萨 (Dìzàng Púsà)
大勢至菩薩／大势至菩萨
楊泗菩薩／杨泗菩萨
泥菩薩／泥菩萨
泥菩薩落水／泥菩萨落水
泥菩薩過江／泥菩萨过江 (nípúsàguòjiāng)
活菩薩／活菩萨 (huópúsà)
生菩薩／生菩萨
眼光菩薩／眼光菩萨
肉身菩薩／肉身菩萨
菩提正道菩薩戒論／菩提正道菩萨戒论
菩薩低眉／菩萨低眉

菩薩十地／菩萨十地
菩薩哥兒／菩萨哥儿
菩薩地／菩萨地
菩薩心腸／菩萨心肠
菩薩戒／菩萨戒
菩薩蠻／菩萨蛮 (púsàmán)
菩薩面／菩萨面
菩薩魚／菩萨鱼
藥王菩薩／药王菩萨
觀世音菩薩／观世音菩萨 (Guānshìyīn Púsà)
觀自在菩薩／观自在菩萨 (Guānzìzài Púsà)
觀音菩薩／观音菩萨 (Guānyīn Púsà)
路頭菩薩／路头菩萨
邊菩薩／边菩萨
馬明菩薩／马明菩萨
黃毛菩薩／黄毛菩萨

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (菩薩):

→ Japanese: 菩(ぼ)薩(さつ) (bosatsu)
→ Korean: 보살(菩薩) (bosal)
→ Vietnamese: bồ tát (菩薩)

Etymology 2

Phono-semantic matching of Khmer ពោធិ៍សាត់ (Pothi៍sat).

Proper noun

菩薩

(～省) Pursat (a province of Cambodia)
(～市) Pursat (a city in Pursat, Cambodia)

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
菩	薩
ぼ Jinmeiyō	さつ Jinmeiyō
goon	kan’on

/bosatɨ/ → /bosatʉ/ → /bosat͡sʉ/ → /bosat͡su/

Shift from bosachi below, adopting the kan'on reading for the second character, possibly indicating a later borrowing or other influence from Middle Chinese. Ultimately from Sanskrit बोधिसत्त्व (bodhi-sattva, literally “enlightened existence”)[1][2][3][4][5][6] or Pali bodhisatta.

Compare modern Cantonese 菩薩 (pou⁴ saat³).

Pronunciation

On’yomi

(Tokyo) ぼさつ [bóꜜsàtsù] (Atamadaka – [1])[5]
(Tokyo) ぼさつ [bòsátsú] (Heiban – [0])[5]
IPA^(key): [bo̞sa̠t͡sɨᵝ]

Noun

菩(ぼ)薩(さつ) • (bosatsu)

(Buddhism) Short for 菩提薩埵 (bodai-satta): a bodhisattva
Synonyms: 開士 (kaishi, kaiji), 大士 (daishi)
(obsolete) a title granted by the imperial court to notably virtuous high-ranking monks
(archaic) a title applied to native Shinto deities after the spread of 本地垂迹 (honji suijaku, theological position prevalent until the Meiji period, explaining that Buddhist deities from India choose to appear in Japan as native kami)
in gagaku circles, a dancer dressed up as a bodhisattva
(colloquial) Synonym of 米 (kome): rice grains
(by extension) a maidservant who cooks rice

Derived terms

菩薩(ぼさつ)戒(かい) (bosatsu-kai)
菩薩(ぼさつ)行(ぎょう) (bosatsu-gyō), 菩薩(ぼさつ)道(どう) (bosatsu-dō)
菩薩(ぼさつ)乗(じょう) (bosatsu-jō)
生(い)き菩薩(ぼさつ) (iki bosatsu)
延命(えんめい)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Enmei Bosatsu)
月光(がっこう)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Gakkō Bosatsu)
歌舞(かぶ)の菩薩(ぼさつ) (kabu no bosatsu)
外面(げめん)似(じ)菩薩(ぼさつ)内心(ないしん)如(にょ)夜叉(やしゃ) (gemen ji-bosatsu naishin nyo-yasha)
観自(かんじ)在(ざい)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Kanjizai Bosatsu)
観世(かんぜ)音(おん)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Kanzeon Bosatsu), 観音(かんのん)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Kannon Bosatsu)
脇士(きょうじ)菩薩(ぼさつ) (kyōji-bosatsu)
旧住(くじゅう)の菩薩(ぼさつ) (kujū no bosatsu)
救世(くせ)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Kuse Bosatsu)
救脱(くだつ)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Kudatsu Bosatsu)
化(け)菩薩(ぼさつ) (kebosatsu)
虚空(こくう)蔵(ぞう)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Kokūzō Bosatsu)
興正(こうしょう)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Kōshō Bosatsu)
五大(ごだい)力(りき)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Godairiki Bosatsu)
金剛(こんごう)蔵王(ぞうおう)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Kongō-zōō Bosatsu)
𦬇(ささ)菩薩(ぼさつ) (sasa bosatsu)
慈氏(じし)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Jishi Bosatsu)
持地(じじ)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Jiji Bosatsu)
地蔵(じぞう)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Jizō Bosatsu)
四(し)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Shi-bosatsu)
地涌(じゆ)の菩薩(ぼさつ) (jiyu no bosatsu)
上行(じょうぎょう)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Jōgyō Bosatsu)
常啼(じょうたい)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Jōtai Bosatsu)
勢至菩薩(せいしぼさつ) (Seishi Bosatsu)
大悲(だいひ)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Daihi Bosatsu)
大(だい)菩薩(ぼさつ) (dai-bosatsu)
多羅(たら)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Tara Bosatsu)
二(に)菩薩(ぼさつ) (ni-bosatsu)
二十(にじゅう)五(ご)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Nijūgo-bosatsu)
女(にょ)菩薩(ぼさつ) (nyobosatsu)
如(にょ)菩薩(ぼさつ) (nyobosatsu)
不軽(ふきょう)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Fukyō Bosatsu)
普賢(ふげん)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Fugen Bosatsu)
仏(ぶつ)菩薩(ぼさつ) (butsu-bosatsu)
妙音(みょうおん)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Myōon Bosatsu)
妙見菩薩(みょうけんぼさつ) (Myōken Bosatsu)
弥勒(みろく)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Miroku Bosatsu)
文殊(もんじゅ)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Monju Bosatsu)
薬王(やくおう)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Yakuō Bosatsu)
勇施(ゆせ)菩薩(ぼさつ) (Yuse Bosatsu)

Proper noun

菩(ぼ)薩(さつ) • (Bosatsu)

title of a piece of gagaku, categorized in the 唐楽 (tōgaku, literally “Tang music”) style

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
菩	薩
ぼ Jinmeiyō	さち Jinmeiyō
goon

/bosatɨ/ → /bosat͡ɕi/

From Middle Chinese 菩薩 (MC buo sɑt̚), an abbreviation of 菩提薩埵 (MC buo dei sɑt̚ tuɑ^X), itself a transliteration of Sanskrit बोधिसत्त्व (bodhi-sattva, literally “enlightened existence”) or Pali bodhisatta. Uses the goon for both characters, indicating an earlier borrowing from Middle Chinese than the bosatsu reading above.

Noun

菩(ぼ)薩(さち) • (bosachi)

(Buddhism, obsolete) Short for 菩提薩埵 (bodai-satta): a bodhisattva
- c. 1001–1014, Murasaki Shikibu, Genji Monogatari (Suzumushi)
  阿彌陀(あみだ)仏(ぶつ)けうしのほさちおのおの白(びゃく)たんしてつくり奉(たてまつ)りたる...
  Amida-butsu kyōshi no bosachi onoono byakutan shite tsukuri tatematsuritaru...
  (please add an English translation of this example)

References

“菩薩”, in 日本大百科全書：ニッポニカ (Nippon Dai Hyakka Zensho: Nipponica, “Encyclopedia Nipponica”)‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 1984
1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
“菩薩”, in 世界大百科事典第２版 (Sekai Dai-hyakka Jiten Dainihan, “Heibonsha World Encyclopedia Second Edition”)‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Heibonsha, 1998
2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
“菩薩”, in ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典 (Buritanika Kokusai Dai Hyakka Jiten: Shō Kōmoku Jiten, “Encyclopædia Britannica International: Micropædia”)‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Britannica Japan Co., Ltd., 2014

Korean

Hanja in this term
菩	薩

Noun

菩薩 • (bosal) (hangeul 보살)

Hanja form^? of 보살 (“bodhisattva”).

Okinawan

Etymology

Cognate with Japanese 菩薩 (bosatsu).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [buːsaː]

Noun

菩薩 (hiragana ぶーさー, rōmaji būsā)

(Buddhism) bodhisattva

Derived terms

菩薩加那志 (būsā-ganashī)

References

“ブーサー” in Okinawa Center of Language Study, Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary.

Vietnamese

Hán tự in this term
菩	薩

Noun

菩薩

chữ Hán form of bồ tát (“bodhisattva”).

[1] “菩薩”, in 日本大百科全書：ニッポニカ (Nippon Dai Hyakka Zensho: Nipponica, “Encyclopedia Nipponica”)‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 1984

[2] 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan

[3] 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[4] “菩薩”, in 世界大百科事典第２版 (Sekai Dai-hyakka Jiten Dainihan, “Heibonsha World Encyclopedia Second Edition”)‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Heibonsha, 1998

[DJR-5] 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[6] “菩薩”, in ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典 (Buritanika Kokusai Dai Hyakka Jiten: Shō Kōmoku Jiten, “Encyclopædia Britannica International: Micropædia”)‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Britannica Japan Co., Ltd., 2014