Japanese symbol for “monk”
僧
そう
Romaji: sou
monk; priest
In Japanese, monk is 僧, read そう (sou).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n monk; priest
- n sangha (the Buddhist community)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “monk”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 僧侶 | そうりょ souryo | priest; monk; bonze |
| 坊さん | ぼうさん bousan | Buddhist priest; monk |
| 和尚 | おしょう oshou | monk (esp. the head monk of a temple); priest; head priest |
| 禅師 | ぜんじ zenji | monk; priest, particularly a high-ranking Zen monk honored by the imperial court |
| モンク | モンク monku | monk |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 僧侶 | そうりょ souryo | priest; monk; bonze |
| 小僧 | こぞう kozou | youngster; boy; kid |
| 尼僧 | にそう nisou | Buddhist nun |
| 高僧 | こうそう kousou | high priest; highly ranked priest |
| 僧院 | そういん souin | monastery; temple |
| 禅僧 | ぜんそう zensou | Zen priest |
See also: Chinese symbol for “monk”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.