砵 (bō) - bowl & basin

砵Tone 1

bō ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

傲不

砵 · bō

bowl;

basin;

vessel;

also used in transliteration of foreign words like 'Buddha'.

bowlbasinvessel

Usage highlights

alms bowlstone bowlBuddha's bowlmortariron bowlfood bowl

Synonyms

  • 碗— bowl (more common for eating bowls)
  • 盆— basin (larger, shallower container)
  • 盂— bowl, vessel (classical term)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • A stone bowl (石砵) used for grinding.
  • The monk carried an alms bowl (乞食砵).
  • Buddha's alms bowl (佛砵) is a sacred object.
  • The laboratory mortar (研砵) is used for grinding substances.

Collocations

  • alms bowl(乞食砵)
  • stone bowl(石砵)
  • Buddha's bowl(佛砵)
  • mortar(研砵)
  • iron bowl(铁砵)
  • food bowl(饭砵)

Idioms

  • To inherit the Buddha's bowl(继承衣砵)
  • The iron rice bowl(铁饭碗, variant concept)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to a monk's alms bowl, especially in Buddhist contexts.
  • Used in the idiom '继承衣砵' meaning to inherit a master's teachings or legacy.
  • Sometimes used in transliteration, particularly in older texts for 'Buddha'.

FAQ