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Kuan Yin

Kuan Yin

1 9.8
A goddess of mercy in Chinese Buddhism who people pray to for help
  • proper noun
: Kuan Yin
  • Many people pray to Kuan Yin for compassion and mercy in times of trouble.

Examples

  • In Chinese folklore, Kuan Yin is revered as a protector of women and children.

  • A statue of Kuan Yin stood at the entrance of the Buddhist temple.

  • Many people pray to Kuan Yin for guidance.

  • The statue of Kuan Yin is beautifully crafted.

  • At the center of the courtyard, a large statue of Kuan Yin was adorned with flowers by the devotees.

  • In her prayers, she often called upon Kuan Yin to bring peace and healing to her family.

  • During the festival, people lit incense and offered their wishes to Kuan Yin for her blessings.

Synonyms

Kwan-yin
vsKuan Yin
3 9.9

A female figure in Chinese Buddhism who shows great kindness and helps people in need

is the same figure but given under a different name form
Guanyin
vsKuan Yin
1 9.9

A Buddhist figure of compassion whom people pray to, often shown as a woman

is the same figure but appears under an alternate regional spelling
Avalokitesvara
vsKuan Yin
  • Literature
1 9.9

A kind figure in Buddhism who listens to people's problems and helps them

is the East Asian venerated female incarnation rather than the Indian male depiction
Kwannon
vsKuan Yin
9.9

A figure in Japanese Buddhism who shows kindness, often holding a lotus

is the same figure but expressed in Chinese religious tradition and name

Surface Forms

Kuan Yin main

Morphology

Kuan + yin

Kuan Yin is a proper name for a specific Buddhist Bodhisattva/Goddess of Mercy, so its meaning is cultural and lexicalized rather than compositional. Knowing 'yin' as the passive/dark principle and an unknown element 'Kuan' would not allow a B1 learner to infer the religious/compassionate deity sense, so the expression is unpredictable from its parts.

Etymology

Kuan Yin is the name of a kind figure in Chinese Buddhism who, one popular story says, 'hears the cries' of people and comes to help them. That's why people pray to Kuan Yin for 'mercy' and 'compassion'.