observe a vegetarian fast; practice religious abstinence from meat
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
to abstain from meat and other forbidden foods as part of a religious practice
特指因宗教信仰（如佛教、道教）而进行的斋戒饮食行为，不同于普通的素食。
Wǒ我
nǎi奶
nai奶
xìn信
Fó佛
，
měi每
yuè月
chū初
yī一
shí十
wǔ五
dōu都
chī吃
zhāi斋
。
My grandmother believes in Buddhism and observes a vegetarian fast on the 1st and 15th of every lunar month.
Qù去
sì寺
miào庙
jìn进
xiāng香
，
tā他
jué决
dìng定
chī吃
zhāi斋
sān三
tiān天
yǐ以
biǎo表
chéng诚
xīn心
。
Before visiting the temple to offer incense, he decided to fast for three days to show sincerity.
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Zài在
zhāi斋
yuè月
qī期
jiān间
，
xǔ许
duō多
Mù穆
sī斯
lín林
cóng从
rì日
chū出
dào到
rì日
luò落
dōu都
fēng封
zhāi斋
，
dàn但
zhè这
zài在
zhōng中
wén文
lǐ里
tōng通
cháng常
bù不
shuō说
“
chī吃
zhāi斋
”
。
During Ramadan, many Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, but this is not typically called "chī zhāi" in Chinese.