觀音

See also: 观音

Chinese

		to look at; to watch; to observe to look at; to watch; to observe; to behold; Taoist monastery	sound; noise; news
trad. (觀音)		觀	音
simp. (观音)		观	音

Etymology

“One who looks down upon sound” (i.e. the cries of sentient beings who need help).

Translation of Sanskrit अवलोकितस्वर (avalokitasvara, literally “down-observe-sound”), the original form of अवलोकितेश्वर (avalokiteśvara, “Avalokiteśvara”), a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas.

Synonymous with 觀世音／观世音 (Guānshìyīn, “observe-world-sound”), which also interprets the middle element of the Sanskrit compound as लोक (loka, “world”).

Compare Tibetan སྤྱན་རས་གཟིགས (spyan ras gzigs, literally “one who looks down with an unwavering eye”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): Guānyīn

  (Zhuyin): ㄍㄨㄢ ㄧㄣ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): gun¹ jam¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): gon¹ yim¹

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): Kôn-yîm
• Min Dong (BUC): Guăng-ĭng^→nĭng
• Min Nan (POJ): Koan-im
• Wu (Wiktionary): kuoe in (T1)

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, Beijing)⁺
    • Pinyin: Guānyīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄢ ㄧㄣ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Guanin
    • IPA ^(key): /ku̯a̠n⁵⁵ in⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: gun¹ jam¹
    • Yale: gūn yām
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gun¹ jam¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: gun¹ yem¹
    • IPA ^(key): /kuːn⁵⁵ jɐm⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: gon¹ yim¹
    • IPA ^(key): /kᵘɔn³³ ʒim³³/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Kôn-yîm
    • Hakka Romanization System: gon´ im´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gon¹ yim¹
    • IPA: /kon²⁴⁻¹¹ im²⁴/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Kôn-yîm
    • Hakka Romanization System: gon´ (r)im´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gon¹ yim¹
    • IPA: /kon²⁴⁻¹¹ (j)im²⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: Guăng-ĭng^→nĭng
    • IPA ^(key): /kuaŋ⁵⁵ nˡiŋ⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Koan-im
    • Tâi-lô: Kuan-im
    • Phofsit Daibuun: koan'ym
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kuan⁴⁴⁻²² im⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kuan³³ im³³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /kuan⁴⁴⁻²² im⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kuan⁴⁴⁻³³ im⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /kuan⁴⁴⁻³³ im⁴⁴/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: kuoe in (T1)
    • IPA ^(key): /kv̩ʷø⁵⁵ ɪɲ²¹/

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• Middle Chinese: /kuɑn  ʔˠiɪm/▼

Rime
Character	觀	音
Reading #	1/2	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	桓 (62)	侵 (140)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open
Division (等)	I	Chongniu III
Fanqie	古丸切	於金切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kuɑn/	/ʔˠiɪm/
Pan Wuyun	/kʷɑn/	/ʔᵚim/
Shao Rongfen	/kuɑn/	/ʔiem/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kwan/	/ʔjim/
Li Rong	/kuɑn/	/ʔjəm/
Wang Li	/kuɑn/	/ĭĕm/
Bernard Karlgren	/kuɑn/	/ʔi̯əm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	guān	yīn

Proper noun

觀音

1. (～菩薩) (Buddhism) Guanyin

Synonyms

• 觀世音／观世音 (Guānshìyīn)

Derived terms

• 千手千眼觀音／千手千眼观音
• 水月觀音／水月观音
• 活觀音／活观音
• 白衣觀音／白衣观音
• 觀音佛祖／观音佛祖
• 觀音兜／观音兜
• 觀音兵／观音兵
• 觀音土／观音土
• 觀音大士／观音大士
• 觀音媽／观音妈
• 觀音山／观音山
• 觀音山轎子／观音山轿子
• 觀音座蓮／观音座莲
• 觀音庵／观音庵

• 觀音柳／观音柳
• 觀音棕竹／观音棕竹
• 觀音法會／观音法会
• 觀音竹／观音竹
• 觀音粉／观音粉
• 觀音素／观音素
• 觀音經／观音经
• 觀音草／观音草
• 觀音菩薩／观音菩萨
• 觀音蓮／观音莲
• 觀音誕／观音诞
• 鐵觀音／铁观音 (tiěguānyīn)
• 魚籃觀音／鱼篮观音

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (觀音):

• Japanese: 観 (かん)音 (のん) (Kannon)
• Korean: 관음 (觀音, Gwaneum)
• Vietnamese: Quan Âm (觀音)

Others:

• → Burmese: ကွမ်ယင် (kwam-yang)
• → English: Guanyin
• → Indonesian: Kwan Im
• → Thai: กวนอิม

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Japanese

Kanji in this term
觀	音
かん Hyōgaiji	おん > のん Grade: 1

Proper noun

觀音 (kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai kanji 観音, hiragana かんのん, rōmaji Kannon)

1. Kyūjitai spelling of 観音

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Korean

Hanja in this term
觀	音

Proper noun

觀音 • (Gwaneum, McCune-Reischauer: Kwanŭm, Yale: Kwan.um) (hangeul 관음)

1. Hanja form^? of 관음, “Guanyin”.

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Vietnamese

Hán tự in this word
觀	音

Proper noun

觀音 (Quan Âm)

1. Hán tự form of Quan Âm, “Guanyin”