尼 means “nun”

あま · ama

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

あま

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ニ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 5 strokes

The story

A body (尸) with a figure (匕) close behind: picture one person following another into the cloister. 尼 is a Buddhist nun, who lives in an 尼寺, and the city of 尼崎, beside Osaka, is written with the same character.

Used in 尼 (ama, nun), 尼僧 (nisou, Buddhist nun), and 尼寺 (amadera, convent)

More from Temple & Zen

• 禅 Zen
• 刹 temple
• 宗 religion
• 戒 guard against
• 聖 holy
• 浄 pure
• 悟 realize
• 仰 look up
• 僧 monk

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.