chī zhāi

吃 斋

Level:

SW HSK PLUS

ReadWriteQuiz

1
v.abstain from eating meat; practise abstinence from meat (as a religious exercise); practise vegetarianism; be a vegetarian for religious reasons
- chī zhāi de rén
  吃斋的人
  vegetarian
- tā dǎ suàn chī zhāi
  他打算吃斋。
  He plans to abstain from eating meat.
- sù shí zhě tiān tiān chī zhāi
  素食者天天吃斋。
  Vegetarians practise abstinence from meat every day.
synonym
zhāi jiè斋戒 chí zhāi持斋
2
v.eat; (of monks) have a meal
- hé shang chī zhāi
  和尚吃斋。
  Monks have a meal.
- sì miào li de ní gū men zài chī zhāi
  寺庙里的尼姑们在吃斋。
  Nuns in the temple are having a meal.
3
v.(of common people) have a vegetarian meal at a Buddhist temple
- tā men míng tiān qù sì miào chī zhāi
  他们明天去寺庙吃斋。
  They will go to the temple to have a vegetarian meal tomorrow.

Separable word
"吃" and "斋" can be combined as one word, or be used separately with other elements inserted.
- 今天他要吃一回斋。
  He's going to have vegetarian food today.
- 他已经吃了三年斋了。
  He has been having vegetarian food for three years.
- 我还没有吃过斋。
  I haven't had vegetarian food yet.

吃斋