尼 (ní) - Buddhist nun & used in transliterations

尼Tone 2

ní ｜ 5 strokes ｜ radical: 尸

楠念

尼 · ní

Buddhist nun;

used in transliterations;

originally meant 'to stop, to halt'.

Buddhist nunused in transliterationsoriginally meant 'to stop, to halt'.

Usage highlights

Buddhist nunNepalnylonNikeNile RiverNicaea

Synonyms

  • 尼姑— Buddhist nun
  • 比丘尼— bhikkhunī (fully ordained female monastic)

Antonyms

  • 僧— Buddhist monk (male counterpart)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She became a Buddhist nun (尼姑).
  • Nepal is a Himalayan country (尼泊尔).
  • The story is from Greek mythology (尼俄伯).
  • This is nylon fabric (尼龙).

Collocations

  • Buddhist nun(尼姑)
  • Nepal(尼泊尔)
  • nylon(尼龙)
  • Nike(耐克 or 尼刻)
  • Nile River(尼罗河)
  • Nicaea(尼西亚)

Idioms

  • The monk can run away, but the temple cannot(跑得了和尚跑不了庙, sometimes paraphrased with 尼姑)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'to stop, to halt' in ancient texts, later used for Buddhist nuns.
  • Commonly used in transliterations of foreign names and terms, especially from Sanskrit and European languages.

FAQ