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, Sichuanese Pinyin): pu² sa¹

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): pou⁴ saat³

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): po³ lhat¹

• Gan (Wiktionary): pu² sat
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): phù-sat

  (Hailu, HRS): pu sad

  (Meixian, Guangdong): pu² sad⁵

  (Changting, Changting Pinyin): pu² sai²

• Jin (Wiktionary): pu¹ sa³
• Northern Min (KCR): pǔ-să
• Eastern Min (BUC): bù-sák
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): pou² sua⁵
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): phô͘-sat

  (Teochew, Peng'im): pu⁵ sag⁴

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁶bu-saq₇ / ⁶bu₂-saeq₇; ²bu-saeq₇
• Xiang (Changsha, 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–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: pou⁴ saat³
    • Yale: pòuh saat
    • Cantonese Pinyin: pou⁴ saat⁸
    • Guangdong Romanization: pou⁴ sad³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰou̯²¹ saːt̚³/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: po³ lhat¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰᵘɔ²² ɬat̚³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: pu² sat
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰu²⁴ sat̚²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: phù-sat
    • Hakka Romanization System: pu^ˇ sad^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: pu² sad⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /pʰu¹¹ sat̚²/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: pu sad
    • Sinological IPA: /pʰu⁵⁵ sat⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: pu² sad⁵
    • Sinological IPA: /pʰu¹¹ sat̚¹/
  • (Changting)
    • Changting Pinyin: pu² sai²
    • Sinological IPA: /pʰu²⁴ sai²⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: pu¹ sa³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /pʰu¹¹ sa⁴⁵/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: pǔ-să
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰu²¹ sa²⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: bù-sák
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu⁵³⁻²¹ ^(s-)lɑʔ²⁴/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: pou² sua⁵ [Phonetic: pou⁴ lua⁵]
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: pó-suā
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰɔu¹³⁻⁴² ^(ɬ-)lua¹¹/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: pou² sua⁵ [Phonetic: pou⁴ lua⁵]
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰɔu²⁴⁻⁴² ^(ɬ-)lua²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: phô͘-sat
    • Tâi-lô: phôo-sat
    • Phofsit Daibuun: phosad
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen): /pʰɔ²⁴⁻²² sat̚³²/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /pʰɔ²⁴⁻²² sat̚⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /pʰɔ¹³⁻²² sat̚³²/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /pʰɔ²⁴⁻¹¹ sat̚³²/
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /pʰɔ²³⁻³³ sat̚³²/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: pu⁵ sag⁴
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: phû sak
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰu⁵⁵⁻¹¹ sak̚²/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Hangzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁶bu-saq₇
    • MiniDict: bu^去 sah^入
    • MiniDict: bu^去 seh^入
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³bu-saq₄
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /bu²² saʔ⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /bu¹¹ sɑʔ⁵³/
  • (Northern: Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁶bu₂-saeq₇; ²bu-saeq₇
    • MiniDict: bu^平 saeh^入; bu^平 saeh^入
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /bu²³ saʔ¹¹/, /bu²² saʔ³³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: pu² sa⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰu¹³ sa̠²⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: bu sat

Rime
Character	菩	薩
Reading #	1/4	1/1
Initial (聲)	並 (3)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	模 (23)	曷 (63)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	I	I
Fanqie	薄胡切	桑割切
Baxter	bu	sat
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/
Bernhard 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. Later semantically extended to refer to a particularly virtuous person. (Dassanayake (2021))

Noun

菩薩

1. (Buddhism) bodhisattva
2. (figurative, sometimes ironic) kind-hearted person; kind and charitable person

   菩薩心腸／菩萨心肠  ―  púsàxīncháng  ―  heart of a bodhisattva (to be especially kind)

Synonyms

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

Derived terms

• 四大菩薩 / 四大菩萨 (Sì Dà Púsà)
• 土地菩薩 / 土地菩萨 (Tǔdì Púsà)
• 土菩薩過江 / 土菩萨过江 (tǔpúsà guòjiāng)
• 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 (Dàshìzhì Púsà)
• 楊泗菩薩 / 杨泗菩萨
• 泥菩薩 / 泥菩萨
• 泥菩薩落水 / 泥菩萨落水 (nípúsà luòshuǐ)
• 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 (púsà dī méi)
• 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 (púsàxīncháng)
• 菩薩戒 / 菩萨戒 (Púsà jiè)
• 菩薩蠻 / 菩萨蛮 (púsàmán)
• 菩薩面 / 菩萨面 (púsàmiàn)
• 菩薩魚 / 菩萨鱼 (púsàyú)
• 藥王菩薩 / 药王菩萨 (Yàowáng Púsà)
• 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)

Others:

• → Peranakan Indonesian: powsat
• → Manchu: ᡦᡠᠰᠠ (pusa)

Etymology 2

Phono-semantic matching of Khmer ពោធិ៍សាត់ (poosat).

Proper noun

菩薩

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

References

• “菩薩”, in 重編國語辭典修訂本 [Revised Mandarin Chinese Dictionary] (in Chinese), National Academy for Educational Research (Taiwan), 2021.
• “菩薩”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2026.
• “菩薩”, in 臺灣客語辭典 [Dictionary of Taiwan Hakka] (overall work in Mandarin and Hakka), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2022.
• 周存 [Zhōu, Cún], editor (2023), “菩萨”, in 长汀话词典 CHANGTINGHUA CIDIAN [Dictionary of Changting Dialect] (overall work in Hakka and Mandarin), Guangzhou: 世界图书出版有限公司 [World Book Publishing Co., Ltd.], →ISBN, page 510.

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
菩	薩
ぼ Jinmeiyō	さつ Jinmeiyō
kan'yōon	kan'on

Alternative spellings
𬻀 (very rare) 𦬇 (very rare)

/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”) or Pali bodhisatta.

Compare modern Cantonese 菩薩 / 菩萨 (pou⁴ saat³).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

菩(ぼ)薩(さつ) • (bosatsu) 

1. (Buddhism) short for 菩提薩埵 (bodai-satta): a bodhisattva

   Synonyms: 開士 (kaishi, kaiji), 大士 (daishi)

2. (obsolete) a title granted by the imperial court to notably virtuous high-ranking monks
3. (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)
4. in gagaku circles, a dancer dressed up as a bodhisattva
5. (colloquial) synonym of 米 (kome): rice grains
6. (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) 

1. 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 bu sat), an abbreviation of 菩提薩埵 (MC bu dej sat twaX), 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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bo̞sa̠t͡ɕi]

Noun

菩(ぼ)薩(さち) • (bosachi) 

1. (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)

See also

• 菩提(ぼだい) (bodai, “bodhi”)
• 薩埵(さった) (satta, “sattva”)
• 如来(にょらい) (nyorai, “tathāgata”)

References

• “^▲菩^▲薩”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[4] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Korean

Hanja in this term
菩	薩

Noun

菩薩 • (bosal) (hangeul 보살)

1. hanja form^? of 보살 (“bodhisattva”)

Okinawan

Kanji in this term
菩	薩
Jinmeiyō	Jinmeiyō

Etymology

Cognate with Japanese 菩薩 (bosatsu).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [buːsaː]

Noun

菩薩(ぶーさー) (būsā) 

1. (Buddhism) bodhisattva

Derived terms

• ぶーさーがなしー (būsā-ganashī)

References

• “ブーサー” in Okinawa Center of Language Study, Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary (archived; reopens 2024).

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
菩	薩

Noun

菩薩

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