斋 (zhāi) - study room & vegetarian diet

斋Tone 1

zhāi ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

悦丈

斋 · zhāi

study room;

vegetarian diet;

fasting;

to abstain;

a room for quiet contemplation or religious practice.

study roomvegetarian dietfasting

Usage highlights

study roomvegetarian dietvegetarian mealfastingvegetarian restaurantpurification ritual

Synonyms

  • 素— plain; vegetarian (dietary context)
  • 书房— study room (architectural context)

Antonyms

  • 荤— meat-based dishes

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He maintains a vegetarian diet (吃斋).
  • The scholar works in his study (书斋).
  • Buddhist monks observe fasting (持斋).
  • This is a vegetarian restaurant (斋菜馆).

Collocations

  • study room(书斋)
  • vegetarian diet(吃斋)
  • vegetarian meal(斋饭)
  • fasting(持斋)
  • vegetarian restaurant(斋菜馆)
  • purification ritual(斋戒)

Idioms

  • Observe fasting and purification(斋戒沐浴)
  • A room full of books and a mind full of learning(书斋满架，学富五车)
  • Long-term vegetarian practice(长斋礼佛)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Traditionally denotes a quiet room for study, copying scriptures, or artistic creation.
  • In religious contexts (Buddhism, Daoism), it refers to abstaining from certain foods (especially meat) and purifying practices.
  • The character embodies ideals of scholarly retreat, self-cultivation, and spiritual discipline.

FAQ