- 僧 — monk / Buddhist priest
- 僧侶 — Buddhist monk (formal term)
- 高僧 — a high-ranking monk / revered monk
- 小僧 — young monk / temple boy (also: bratty kid, casual)
- 禅僧 — Zen monk
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僧 uses the person radical 亻 on the left to mark “a person,” and the right side gives the reading ソウ. Historically, 僧 referred to a member of the Buddhist community — a monk dedicated to training and discipline. Modern Japanese keeps that meaning in words like 僧侶 and 高僧, and even casual words like 小僧 for a young attendant.