寺

KANJI DETAIL

temple

On readingじ

6 strokesN4

Radical 寸 · inch

Stroke order

6 strokes

Japanese readings

On reading: じ
Kun reading: てら

Study notes

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

Structure: 寺 means a temple; its kun-reading is てら and its on-reading is じ.
Basic usage: Both 寺(てら) and 寺院(じいん) mean a temple.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

Overlapping meanings and different readings
- 寺 refers to a temple on a mountain or one visited during a journey. The standalone word is read てら.
- 寺院 also refers to a temple on a mountain or one visited to see Buddhist statues. Here 寺 is read じ, giving the full reading じいん.