觀音

See also: 观音

Chinese

		observing	sound(s) cry(/ies)
trad. (觀音)		觀	音
simp. (观音)		观	音

The statue of "Guanyin of the South China Sea" on Putuoshan Island off Zhejiang, China. Chinese Buddhism credits the location as her first appearance in China.

Etymology

“[One who] Observes Sounds”, in reference to the prayers and cries of sentient beings who need help, a calque of Sanskrit अवलोकितस्वर (avalokitasvara, literally “down-observe-sound”), the original form of अवलोकितेश्वर (avalokiteśvara, “Avalokiteśvara”), the bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas.

Synonymous with 觀世音／观世音 (Guānshìyīn, “One who Observes the Sounds of the World”), which interpreted the middle element of the Sanskrit compound as लोक (loka, “world”). The shorter form became more common during the Tang dynasty to avoid naming the taboo personal name of Emperor Taizong of Tang, 李世民.

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

  (Meixian, Guangdong): guon¹ yim¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): guan¹ ing¹
• Min Dong (BUC): Guăng-ĭng^→nĭng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): Koan-im

  (Teochew, Peng'im): guêng¹ im¹

• Wu (Wiktionary): kuoe in (T1)

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: Guānyīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄢ ㄧㄣ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Guanin
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Guanyin
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kwän⁵⁵ in⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: gun¹ jam¹
    • Yale: gūn yām
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gun¹ jam¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: gun¹ yem¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuːn⁵⁵ jɐm⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: gon¹ yim¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kᵘɔn³³ ʒim³³/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Kôn-yîm
    • Hakka Romanization System: gon´ im´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gon¹ yim¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kon²⁴⁻¹¹ im²⁴/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Kôn-yîm
    • Hakka Romanization System: gon´ (r)im´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gon¹ yim¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kon²⁴⁻¹¹ (j)im²⁴/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: guon¹ yim¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kuɔn⁴⁴ im⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: guan¹ ing¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /kuæ̃¹¹ ĩŋ¹¹/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: Guăng-ĭng^→nĭng
    • Sinological 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/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: guêng¹ im¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kueng im
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kueŋ³³⁻²³ im³³/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: kuoe in (T1)
    • Sinological 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
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gun1	jam1

Proper noun

觀音

1. (～菩薩) (Buddhism) Guanyin
2. (～區, formerly ～鄉) Guanyin (a district of Taoyuan, Taiwan, formerly a rural township)
3. (～鎮) Guanyin (a town in Yunxi, Shiyan, Hubei, China)

Usage notes

Although Avalokiteśvara was reckoned a male figure and Guanyin was first depicted as a male in Chinese art, she is now almost always understood to be and referenced as a goddess or female boddhisattva.

Synonyms

• 觀世音／观世音 (Guānshìyīn)
• (Min Nan) 觀音媽／观音妈, 觀音娘／观音娘

Derived terms

• 千手千眼觀音／千手千眼观音 (Qiān Shǒu Qiān Yǎn Guānyīn)
• 千手觀音／千手观音
• 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 (guānyīnbīng)
• 觀音土／观音土
• 觀音壋／观音垱 (Guānyīndàng)
• 觀音大士／观音大士 (Guānyīn Dàshì)
• 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
• 觀音手／观音手
• 觀音暴／观音暴

• 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
• 觀音菊／观音菊
• 觀音菩薩／观音菩萨 (Guānyīn Púsà)
• 觀音蓮／观音莲
• 觀音衲／观音衲
• 觀音誕／观音诞
• 送子觀音／送子观音
• 鎖骨觀音／锁骨观音
• 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(かん)音(のん) • (Kannon)  (kyūjitai, shinjitai 観音)

1. Kyūjitai form of 観音

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Korean

Hanja in this term
觀	音

Proper noun

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

1. Hanja form^? of 관음 (“Guanyin”).

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Vietnamese

Hán tự in this term
觀	音

Proper noun

觀音

1. Hán tự form of Quan Âm (“Guanyin”).