bodhisattva
/ˌbɒdɪˈsatvə/noun
bodhisattva is spelled B-O-D-H-I-S-A-T-T-V-A: 11 letters. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 52,337th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bodhisattva means “A person who has taken specific lay or monastic vows and who is on the road to perfect knowledge; specifically, one who foregoes personal nirvana in…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bodhisattva is bodhisattvas.
How many letters and syllables are in bodhisattva?
| Letters | 11: B-O-D-H-I-S-A-T-T-V-A |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 52,337th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is bodhisattva?
Bodhisattva appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 52,337th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce bodhisattva?
- /boʊ̯diːˈsʌtvə/
- /boʊ̯diːˈsɑtvə/
- UK /ˌbɒdɪˈsatvə/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-bodhisattva.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of bodhisattva
- bodhisattvas plural
- boddhisatva
- bodhisvatta
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bodhisattva mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A person who has taken specific lay or monastic vows and who is on the road to perfect knowledge; specifically, one who foregoes personal nirvana in order to help others achieve enlightenment.
- 2
An enlightened being existing in a form of existence beyond the ordinary forms of physical reality understood and acknowledged by scientific thought, resembling the Western notion of angels, but with a wealth of its own nuances and expectations. These include the compassionate working for enlightenment of all sentient beings.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bodhisattva in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense bodhisattva:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bodhisattva |
| German | Bodhisattva |
| Portuguese | bodhisattva |
| Spanish | bodhisattva |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does bodhisattva come from?
Borrowed from Sanskrit बोधिसत्त्व (bodhisattva, “enlightened existence”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).