1.
Buddhist — a person who follows or practices Buddhism
A person who professes Buddhism as their religion or practices it as a way of life. The suffix 徒 attaches to religions to designate an adherent (as in キリスト{教徒} 'Christian', イスラム{教徒} 'Muslim'). In Japan, formal religious affiliation is often loose, so 仏教徒 is more commonly heard in news, surveys, and descriptions of other countries than as a personal self-identification.
彼は仏教徒だ。
He is a Buddhist.
タイは仏教徒が多い国です。
Thailand is a country with many Buddhists.
世界には約五億人の仏教徒がいると言われている。
It is said that there are about 500 million Buddhists in the world.
Compound of 仏教 ('Buddhism') and the suffix 徒 ('adherent, follower').
USAGE:
- Used to refer to adherents of Buddhism in general, whether in Japan or abroad. The word is neutral and descriptive.
- In Japan, many people are culturally and ritually connected to Buddhism (through family temples, funerals, and holidays) but do not self-identify as 仏教徒 in daily speech. The word tends to appear in formal, academic, or international contexts.
- The pattern X{教徒} is used for adherents of other religions as well: キリスト{教徒} (Christian), イスラム{教徒} (Muslim), ヒンドゥー{教徒} (Hindu).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 敬虔な仏教徒: a devout Buddhist
- 仏教徒の家庭: a Buddhist household
- 仏教徒人口: Buddhist population
- 仏教徒になる: to become a Buddhist
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 仏教: Buddhism — the religion itself, not the adherent.
- 信者: believer, follower of a religion — a more general word that can be combined with a religion's name (仏教の信者).
- お{坊さん}: Buddhist monk — a member of the clergy, not a lay follower.
RELATED TERMS:
- キリスト{教徒}: Christian
- イスラム{教徒}: Muslim
- 無宗教: non-religious, without a faith