寺 sì temple
court; office; temple; monastery; Buddhist temple; mosque
How it came to be
A hand under a foot arriving. It first named an office, a place where a person is posted and stays. Temples came later, when the first monks were housed in one.
How it is used
- A temple/monastery, esp. Buddhist: 寺庙 (sìmiào) temple, 少林寺 (Shàolín Sì) Shaolin Temple.
- Also a mosque: 清真寺 (qīngzhēnsì).
- Note: Buddhist 寺, Daoist temple is usually 观 (guàn), and a smaller shrine is 庙 (miào).