# 齋

| 齋 | U+9F4B, &#40779; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-9F4B |
| ← 齊 [U+9F4A] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 齌 → [U+9F4C] |

## Translingual

| Traditional | 齋 |
| Shinjitai | 斎 |
| Simplified | 斋 |

### Han character

齋 (Kangxi radical 210, 齊+3, 17 strokes, cangjie input 卜難火 (YXF), four-corner 0022$_3$, composition ⿵齊小)

#### Derived characters

* 𡄡, 𢥖, 𢹓, 𭳯, 𮥱, 𤒱, 𮂧, 𧕚, 𩵃, 𪗒, 𪗓, 𢋿

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 1531, character 12
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 48565
* Dae Jaweon: page 2069, character 1
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 7, page 4785, character 3
* Unihan data for U+9F4B

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 齋 :
| Western Zhou | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) |
| Bronze inscriptions | Small seal script |
| | Old Chinese |
| 儕 | *zriːl |
| 麡 | *zriːl, *ʔsliːl, *zliːl |
| 齋 | *ʔsriːl |
| 穧 | *ʔsleds, *ʔsliːls, *zliːls |
| 擠 | *ʔsliːl, *ʔsliːls |
| 躋 | *ʔsliːl, *ʔsliːls |
| 齏 | *ʔsliːl |
| 齎 | *ʔsliːl, *ʔslil |
| 櫅 | *ʔsliːl |
| 齌 | *ʔsliːl, *sʰliːl, *zliːls |
| 隮 | *ʔsliːl, *ʔsliːls |
| 賷 | *ʔsliːl |
| 虀 | *ʔsliːl |
| 濟 | *ʔsliːlʔ, *ʔsliːls |
| 癠 | *ʔsliːlʔ, *zliːl, *zliːlʔ, *zliːls |
| 霽 | *ʔsliːls |
| 齊 | *zliːl, *zliːls |
| 臍 | *zliːl |
| 蠐 | *zliːl, *zlil |
| 懠 | *zliːl, *zliːls |
| 薺 | *zliːlʔ, *zlil |
| 鱭 | *zliːlʔ |
| 嚌 | *zliːls |
| 劑 | *zliːls, *ʔslel |
| 齍 | *ʔslil |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *ʔsriːl): phonetic 齊 (OC *zliːl, *zliːls) + semantic 示 (“god; deity”).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): zhāi (zhai$^1$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄓㄞ
    (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): зэ (ze, I)
* Cantonese (Jyutping): zaai$^1$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): châi
    (Meixian, Guangdong): zai$^1$
* Northern Min (KCR): cái
* Eastern Min (BUC): că̤
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): che / chai
    (Teochew, Peng'im): zê$^1$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^1$tsa
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: zhāi
*** Zhuyin: ㄓㄞ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: jhai
*** Wade–Giles: chai$^1$
*** Yale: jāi
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jai
*** Palladius: чжай (čžaj)
*** Sinological IPA : /ʈ͡ʂaɪ̯⁵⁵/
** (Dungan)
*** Cyrillic and Wiktionary: зэ (ze, I)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sɛ²⁴/
    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: zaai$^1$
*** Yale: jāai
*** Cantonese Pinyin: dzaai$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: zai$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡saːi̯⁵⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: châi
*** Hakka Romanization System: zai$^ˊ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: zai$^1$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sai̯²⁴/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: zai$^1$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡saɪ⁴⁴/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: cái
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sai⁵⁴/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: că̤
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sɛ⁵⁵/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: che / chai
*** Tâi-lô: tse / tsai
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zef, zay
*** IPA (Xiamen): /t͡se⁴⁴/, /t͡sai⁴⁴/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡se³³/, /t͡sai³³/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡se⁴⁴/, /t͡sai⁴⁴/
*** IPA (Taipei): /t͡se⁴⁴/, /t͡sai⁴⁴/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡se⁴⁴/, /t͡sai⁴⁴/
* che - vernacular;
* chai - literary.
* Dialectal data
| Variety | Location | edit齋 |
| Mandarin | Beijing | /ʈ͡ʂai⁵⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Harbin | /t͡sai⁴⁴/ /ʈ͡ʂai⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Tianjin | /t͡sai²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Jinan | /ʈ͡ʂɛ²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Qingdao | /ʈ͡ʂɛ²¹³/ |
| Mandarin | Zhengzhou | /ʈ͡ʂai²⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Xi'an | /t͡sai²¹/ |
| Mandarin | Xining | /t͡sɛ⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Yinchuan | /ʈ͡ʂɛ⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Lanzhou | /ʈ͡ʂɛ³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Ürümqi | /t͡sai⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Wuhan | /t͡sai⁵⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Chengdu | /t͡sai⁵⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Guiyang | /t͡sai⁵⁵/ |
| Mandarin | Kunming | /ʈ͡ʂæ⁴⁴/ |
| Mandarin | Nanjing | /ʈ͡ʂae³¹/ |
| Mandarin | Hefei | /ʈ͡ʂe̞²¹/ |
| Jin | Taiyuan | /t͡sai¹¹/ |
| Jin | Pingyao | /t͡sæ¹³/ |
| Jin | Hohhot | /t͡sɛ³¹/ |
| Wu | Shanghai | /t͡se⁵³/ |
| Wu | Suzhou | /t͡sɑ⁵⁵/ |
| Wu | Hangzhou | /t͡se̞³³/ |
| Wu | Wenzhou | /t͡sa³³/ |
| Hui | Shexian | /t͡sa³¹/ |
| Hui | Tunxi | /t͡sa¹¹/ |
| Xiang | Changsha | /t͡sai³³/ |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | /t͡sai³³/ |
| Gan | Nanchang | /t͡sai⁴²/ |
| Hakka | Meixian | /t͡sai⁴⁴/ |
| Hakka | Taoyuan | /t͡sɑi²⁴/ |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | /t͡sai⁵³/ |
| Cantonese | Nanning | /t͡sai⁵⁵/ |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | /t͡sai⁵⁵/ |
| Min | Xiamen (Hokkien) | /t͡sai⁵⁵/ |
| Min | Fuzhou (Eastern Min) | /t͡sɛ⁴⁴/ |
| Min | Jian'ou (Northern Min) | /t͡sai⁵⁴/ |
| Min | Shantou (Teochew) | /t͡se³³/ |
| Min | Haikou (Hainanese) | /t͡sai²³/ /t͡sɛ²³/ |
* Middle Chinese: tsreaj
Rime :
| Character | 齋 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 莊 (18) |
| Final (韻) | 皆 (33) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | II |
| Fanqie | 側皆切 |
| Baxter | tsreaj |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /t͡ʃˠɛi/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ʈ͡ʂᵚæi/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /t͡ʃɐi/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ʈ͡ʂəɨj/ |
| Li Rong | /t͡ʃɛi/ |
| Wang Li | /t͡ʃɐi/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /ʈ͡ʂăi/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | zhāi |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | zaai$^1$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*tsˤr[ə]j/
    (Zhengzhang): /*ʔsriːl/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 齋 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | zhāi |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ tsreaj › |
| Old Chinese | /*tsˁr[ə]j/ |
| English | purify oneself |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 齋 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 10031 |
| Phonetic component | 齊 |
| Rime group | 脂 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 齋 |
| Old Chinese | /*ʔsriːl/ |

### Definitions

齋
* (historical) to show one's piety before offering sacrifices and other ceremonies in ancient times, by abstaining from meat and alcohol, bathing oneself and clearing one's mind of distracting thoughts
* (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) solemn; earnest
* vegetarian diet (often adopted for religious reasons)
    吃齋／吃斋 ― chīzhāi ― to be a vegetarian
* fasting
    齋月／斋月 ― zhāiyuè ― Ramadan
* (Buddhism, Taoism) religious ceremony (Classifier: 堂 c)
* (Cantonese) plain; dull; boring; dry
    齋啡／斋啡 [Cantonese] ― zaai$^1$ fe$^1$ [Jyutping] ― black coffee
       zou$^2$ caan$^1$ zing$^6$ hai$^6$ sik$^6$ faai$^3$ min$^6$ baau$^1$ wui$^5$ m$^4$ wui$^5$ zaai$^1$ zo$^2$ di$^1$ ne$^1$? [Jyutping]
       Wouldn't it be a bit dull to just have a piece of bread for breakfast?
* (Cantonese) purely; only; just
    Synonym: 淨 / 净 (jìng)
    齋噏／斋噏 [Cantonese] ― zaai$^1$ ngap$^1$ [Jyutping] ― to just talk
    齋睇唔買／斋睇唔买 [Cantonese] ― zaai$^1$ tai$^2$ m$^4$ maai$^5$ [Jyutping] ― to just browse around and not buy anything; to window-shop
    齋坐／斋坐 [Cantonese] ― zaai$^1$ co$^5$ [Jyutping] ― to just sit (at a restaurant, cafe, etc. without ordering)
* to give alms to monks
* study (room); studio
* house; shop; building
* a surname

#### Synonyms

* (vegetarian diet): 素食 (sùshí)

#### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “non-vegetarian”): 葷／荤 (hūn)

### Compounds

* 三長齋月 / 三长斋月
* 修齋 / 修斋
* 假齋 / 假斋
* 八關齋 / 八关斋
* 冷齋夜話 / 冷斋夜话
* 化齋 / 化斋
* 吃齋 / 吃斋 (chīzhāi)
* 吃齋唸佛 / 吃斋念佛
* 埋齋 / 埋斋
* 奉道齋僧 / 奉道斋僧
* 守齋 / 守斋
* 容齋隨筆 / 容斋随笔
* 封齋 / 封斋 (fēngzhāi)
* 心齋 / 心斋
* 打完齋唔要和尚 / 打完斋唔要和尚
* 扑扑齋
* 打爛齋缽 / 打烂斋钵
* 打齋 / 打斋 (dǎzhāi)
* 打齋飯 / 打斋饭
* 把素持齋 / 把素持斋
* 把齋 / 把斋 (bǎzhāi)
* 持齋 / 持斋 (chízhāi)
* 持齋受戒 / 持斋受戒
* 持齋把素 / 持斋把素
* 捱齋 / 捱斋
* 散齋 / 散斋
* 斗齋
* 施齋 / 施斋
* 早齋 / 早斋 (chá-chai) (Min Nan)
* 書齋 / 书斋 (shūzhāi)
* 治齋 / 治斋
* 白齋 / 白斋
* 監齋使者 / 监斋使者
* 監齋爺 / 监斋爷
* 知不足齋 / 知不足斋
* 累七齋 / 累七斋
* 羅漢齋 / 罗汉斋 (luóhànzhāi)
* 羅齋 / 罗斋
* 聊齋志異 / 聊斋志异
* 蕭齋 / 萧斋
* 蛇齋餅粽 / 蛇斋饼粽
* 話齋 / 话斋
* 赴齋 / 赴斋
* 長齋 / 长斋 (chángzhāi)
* 長齋繡佛 / 长斋绣佛
* 開齋 / 开斋 (kāizhāi)
* 開齋節 / 开斋节 (Kāizhāijié)
* 食齋 / 食斋
* 魯齋郎 / 鲁斋郎
* 齋主 / 斋主
* 齋供 / 斋供
* 齋僧 / 斋僧
* 齋公 / 斋公
* 齋啡 / 斋啡
* 齋堂 / 斋堂 (zhāitáng)
* 齋壇 / 斋坛
* 齋夫 / 斋夫
* 齋姑 / 斋姑
* 齋宿 / 斋宿
* 齋居蔬食 / 斋居蔬食
* 齋廚 / 斋厨
* 齋心 / 斋心
* 齋心滌慮 / 斋心涤虑
* 齋慄 / 斋栗
* 齋戒 / 斋戒 (zhāijiè)
* 齋戒沐浴 / 斋戒沐浴 (zhāijièmùyù)
* 齋文 / 斋文
* 齋會 / 斋会 (zhāihuì)
* 齋月 / 斋月 (zhāiyuè)
* 齋果 / 斋果 (zhāiguǒ)
* 齋校 / 斋校
* 齋沐 / 斋沐
* 齋滷味 / 斋卤味
* 齋潔 / 斋洁
* 齋腸 / 斋肠 (zhāicháng)
* 齋舍 / 斋舍
* 齋舞 / 斋舞
* 齋菜 / 斋菜 (zhāicài)
* 齋襯 / 斋衬
* 齋襯錢 / 斋衬钱
* 齋醮 / 斋醮
* 齋鋪 / 斋铺
* 齋長 / 斋长
* 齋飯 / 斋饭 (zhāifàn)

### Descendants

* → Thai: เจ (jee)
* → Vietnamese: chay

## Japanese

| Shinjitai | 斎 |
| Kyūjitai | 齋 |

### Kanji

(Hyōgai kanji, kyūjitai kanji, shinjitai form 斎)
* Kyūjitai form of 斎

#### Readings

* Kan-on: さい (sai)
* On: し (shi)
* Kun: いつく (itsuku, 齋く)、とき (toki, 齋)、いわい (iwai, 齋い)、ものいみ (monoimi, 齋)、つつしむ (tsutsushimu, 齋む)

### Etymology

For pronunciation and definitions of 齋 – see the following entry. :
| 【斎】S | [kanji] jōyō kanji [kanji] cleansing, purification [kanji] Buddhist service [kanji] room Kanji reading: せい, せ, さい, いつき, いつく, いみ, いむ, いもい, いわい, いわう, つつしむ, とき, ものいみ, ゆ, いつ, きよ, ただ, ひとし, よし |
(This term, 齋, is the kyūjitai of the above term.) :

## Korean
### Hanja

齋 (eumhun 엄숙할 재 (eomsukhal jae)) 齋 (eumhun 집 재 (jip jae)) 齋 (eumhun 상복 재 (sangbok jae)) 齋 (eumhun 재계할 재 (jaegyehal jae)) 齋 (eumhun 공부방 재 (gongbubang jae))
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

齋: Hán Việt readings: trai (莊(trang)皆(giai)切(thiết)), chay
齋: Nôm readings: chay, trai, chai, rai, chây, trơi
* chữ Hán form of trai (“to abstain; to fast”).
* chữ Nôm form of chay (“to abstain; to fast”).

### References

* 1 2 3 4 Nguyễn (2014).
* 1 2 3 Nguyễn et al. (2009).
* 1 2 3 Trần (2004).
* 1 2 3 4 Bonet (1899).
* 1 2 3 Génibrel (1898).
* 1 2 Taberd & Pigneau de Béhaine (1838).
* 1 2 Hồ (1976).