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.

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–Hong Kong, Jyutping): gun¹ jam¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): gon¹ yim¹

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): Kôn-yîm

  (Meixian, Guangdong): guon¹ yim¹

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

  (Hokkien, POJ): Koan-im

  (Teochew, Peng'im): guêng¹ im¹

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ¹kuoe-in

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: Guānyīn
    • Zhuyin: ㄍㄨㄢ ㄧㄣ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Guanyin
    • Wade–Giles: Kuan¹-yin¹
    • Yale: Gwān-yīn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Guanin
    • Palladius: Гуаньинь (Guanʹinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku̯än⁵⁵ in⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • 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 jim³³/
• 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/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: Guăng-ĭng^→nĭng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kuaŋ⁵⁵ nˡiŋ⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (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
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹kuoe-in
    • MiniDict: kuoe^平 in
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹kuoe-in
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kuø⁵⁵ in²¹/

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• Middle Chinese: kwan 'im

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	III
Fanqie	古丸切	於金切
Baxter	kwan	'im
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

(deprecated template usage) 觀音

1. (Buddhism) Guanyin (often with the clarifying title ～菩薩)
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

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

(deprecated template usage)

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Japanese

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

Proper noun

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

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
觀	音

Proper noun

觀音

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