法師(ほうし)

ほうし
noun
Buddhist priest; monk
formalreligionhistory
1. Buddhist priest; monk
A Buddhist monk, especially a wandering one in older times. Now mainly historical and in names and set compounds.
琵琶法師(びわほうし)が平家物語(へいけものがたり)を語(かた)った。
A biwa-playing monk recited the Tale of the Heike.
昔話(むかしばなし)には、旅(たび)をする法師(ほうし)がよく出(で)てくる。
Traveling monks often appear in old folk tales.
西行法師(さいぎょうほうし)は各地(かくち)を旅(たび)しながら多(おお)くの和歌(わか)を詠(よ)んだ。
The monk Saigyō composed many waka poems as he traveled around the country.

Historical and literary. In everyday speech a monk is お坊(ぼう)さん or 僧侶(そうりょ).

Compounds

  • 琵琶法師(びわほうし): blind monk who recited tales to the biwa lute
  • 一寸法師(いっすんぼうし): Issun-bōshi, the inch-high hero of a folk tale
  • 影法師(かげぼうし): a person's shadow or silhouette

Pronunciation

In some compounds the word becomes ぼうし (一寸法師(いっすんぼうし), 影法師(かげぼうし)). Do not confuse it with 帽子(ぼうし) (hat) or 奉仕(ほうし) (service).

general
Added 2026.10.13 22:08 · Revised 2026.10.13 22:13
31500/31993_houshi