ภิกษุ
bhikkhu
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 bhikkhu、fully ordained Buddhist monk
This is a formal Buddhist term for a fully ordained male monk.
bhikkhu、fully ordained Buddhist monk
A male Buddhist monastic who has received full ordination and lives under the monastic discipline.
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พระภิกษุออกบิณฑบาตตอนเช้า phrá phíksù ɔ̀ɔk binthabàat tɔɔn cháaw The monks go out to collect alms in the morning. พระภิกษุออกบิณฑบาตตอนเช้า details
Learning notes
Explanation
ภิกษุ refers specifically to a male Buddhist monastic who has received full ordination. It corresponds to the Buddhist term “bhikkhu.” In everyday Thai, พระ is more common, while พระภิกษุ is a respectful full form. ภิกษุ by itself occurs especially in discussions of Buddhist teaching and discipline, as well as in news reports, laws, and other formal writing. The usual classifier for monks is รูป. For example, พระภิกษุสิบรูป means “ten monks.”
Usage
It is used when discussing temples, ordination, monastic discipline, alms rounds, and other Buddhist matters. In ordinary conversation, พระ is usually the more natural word for “monk.”
Caution
Do not use ภิกษุ for a novice monk, who is called สามเณร, or for a female monastic. It is also not normally used as a direct form of address; titles such as หลวงพ่อ, หลวงพี่, or พระอาจารย์ are chosen according to the monk’s age and status.
Differences from similar words
1 bhikkhu synonyms
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พระ is the usual everyday word for a Buddhist monk. ภิกษุ is more formal and specifically refers to a fully ordained male monastic, especially in religious or official contexts.