บาตร
monk’s alms bowl
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 monk’s alms bowl
This is the bowl Buddhist monks use to receive offerings of food.
monk’s alms bowl
It refers to the deep, rounded bowl used by Buddhist monks and novices to collect food offerings.
Learning notes
Explanation
Although this word names a Buddhist religious object, it is also used in everyday conversation. It is not the usual word for a household bowl or cooking pot. The common expressions ใส่บาตร and ตักบาตร both mean to offer food to monks. ใส่ means “put in,” while ตัก means “scoop,” reflecting the act of placing food in the bowl. The classifiers ลูก and ใบ are used when counting these bowls. For example, บาตรหนึ่งลูก means “one alms bowl.”
Usage
You will hear this word when people discuss morning food offerings, temple ceremonies, or monks’ belongings. In everyday conversation, it often appears in ใส่บาตร and ตักบาตร.
Caution
ใส่บาตร and ตักบาตร describe what the person offering food does. For a monk going out to collect alms, use ออกบิณฑบาต. Do not confuse บาตร with บาท, the spelling for Thailand’s currency, the baht.