お寺(てら)

おてら

noun

temple (Buddhist)

politereligion building

1. Buddhist temple

A Buddhist temple, used with the polite prefix お. The standard everyday form when referring to temples in conversation.

お寺(てら)に行(い)く。

To go to a temple.

京都(きょうと)にはお寺(てら)がたくさんある。

There are many temples in Kyoto.

家族(かぞく)でお寺(てら)にお参(まい)りした。

I visited a temple with my family.

あのお寺(てら)は桜(さくら)の名所(めいしょ)として有名(ゆうめい)だ。

That temple is famous as a cherry blossom viewing spot.

The polite form of 寺(てら), using the honorific prefix お. In everyday conversation, お寺(てら) is much more common than the plain form 寺(てら). The お prefix is not strictly honorific here — it has become a natural part of the word in spoken Japanese.

Common collocations

お寺(てら)に行(い)く: to go to a temple
お寺(てら)にお参(まい)りする: to visit a temple (for worship)
お寺(てら)を回(まわ)る: to visit several temples
お寺(てら)の鐘(かね): a temple bell

TEMPLE VS. SHRINE:

お寺(てら): Buddhist temple — features a 本堂(ほんどう) (main hall), 仏像(ぶつぞう) (Buddha statues), and often a 墓地(ぼち) (cemetery)
神社(じんじゃ): Shinto shrine — features a 鳥居(とりい) (torii gate) and 狛犬(こまいぬ) (guardian lion-dogs)

Similar words

寺院(じいん): temple — a more formal, written-style word for Buddhist temples
寺(てら): temple — the plain form, used mainly in compounds and written contexts

Related Words

Compare: 寺院(じいん) (temple)

general

Added 2026.4.13 0:05 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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