禮拜

See also: 礼拜

Chinese

		gift; propriety; rite	to pay respect; worship; visit to pay respect; worship; visit; salute
trad. (禮拜)		禮	拜
simp. (礼拜)		礼	拜

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): lǐbài

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧˇ ㄅㄞˋ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): либэ (libe, II-III)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lai⁵ baai³
• Gan (Wiktionary): li³ bai⁴
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): lî-pai

  (Hailu, HRS): li^ˋ bai^ˇ

• Jin (Wiktionary): li² bai³
• Northern Min (KCR): lǐ-ba̿i
• Eastern Min (BUC): lā̤-bái
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): lé-pài

  (Teochew, Peng'im): loi² bai³ / li² bai³

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁶li-pa₅

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: lǐbài
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧˇ ㄅㄞˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lǐbài
    • Wade–Giles: li³-pai⁴
    • Yale: lǐ-bài
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: liibay
    • Palladius: либай (libaj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li²¹⁴⁻²¹ paɪ̯⁵¹/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: либэ (libe, II-III)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li⁵¹ pɛ⁴⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: lai⁵ baai³
    • Yale: láih baai
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lai⁵ baai³
    • Guangdong Romanization: lei⁵ bai³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɐi̯¹³ paːi̯³³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: li³ bai⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li²¹³⁻¹³ pai³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: lî-pai
    • Hakka Romanization System: li^ˊ bai
    • Hagfa Pinyim: li¹ bai⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /li²⁴⁻¹¹ pai̯⁵⁵/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: li^ˋ bai^ˇ
    • Sinological IPA: /li⁵³ pai¹¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: li² bai³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /li⁵³ pai⁴⁵/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: lǐ-ba̿i
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li²¹ pai³³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: lā̤-bái
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /l̃ɛ³³⁻⁵⁵ ^(p-)βɑi²¹³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Yongchun, General Taiwanese, Philippines)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lé-pài
    • Tâi-lô: lé-pài
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lefpaix
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /le⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ pai²¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Yongchun): /le⁵³⁻⁴⁴ pai²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /le⁵³⁻⁴⁴ pai¹¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /le⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ pai⁴¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: loi² bai³ / li² bai³
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: lói pài / lí pài
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /loi⁵²⁻³⁵ pai²¹³/, /li⁵²⁻³⁵ pai²¹³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁶li-pa₅
    • MiniDict: li^去 pa^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³li-pa₂
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /li²² pa⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /li²³ pɑ¹¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: lejX peajH

Rime
Character	禮	拜
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	來 (37)	幫 (1)
Final (韻)	齊 (39)	皆 (33)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	IV	II
Fanqie	盧啓切	博怪切
Baxter	lejX	peajH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/leiX/	/pˠɛiH/
Pan Wuyun	/leiX/	/pᵚæiH/
Shao Rongfen	/lɛiX/	/pɐiH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/lɛjX/	/pəɨjH/
Li Rong	/leiX/	/pɛiH/
Wang Li	/lieiX/	/pɐiH/
Bernhard Karlgren	/lieiX/	/păiH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	lǐ	bài
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lai5	baai3

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[r]ˤijʔ  C.pˤro[t]-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*riːʔ  proːds/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	禮	拜
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	lǐ	bài
Middle Chinese	‹ lejX ›	‹ pɛjH ›
Old Chinese	/*[r]ˁijʔ/	/*C.pˁro[t]-s/
English	propriety, ceremony	bow, bend (v.)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	禮	拜
Reading #	1/1	1/1
No.	7839	222
Phonetic component	豊	拜
Rime group	脂	祭
Rime subdivision	2	3
Corresponding MC rime	禮	𢷎
Old Chinese	/*riːʔ/	/*proːds/

Noun

禮拜

1. (religion) service; prayer; salat
2. (colloquial, regional) week (Classifier: 個／个 m c)

   上禮拜我在那家店買了一件新外套。 [MSC, trad.]
   上礼拜我在那家店买了一件新外套。 [MSC, simp.]

   Shànglǐbài wǒ zài nà jiā diàn mǎi le yī jiàn xīn wàitào. [Pinyin]

   I got a new coat in that store last week.

3. day of the week (when used with a number, 日 or 天)

   禮拜一／礼拜一  ―  lǐbàiyī  ―  Monday

4. (colloquial, regional) Sunday; day off

Synonyms

• (salat): (Yinchuan Mandarin) 拜功, 乃瑪孜／乃玛孜

Dialectal synonyms of 星期 (“week”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		星期, 週
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	星期, 禮拜
	Harbin	禮拜
	Malaysia	禮拜
	Singapore	禮拜, 星期
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	星期, 禮拜
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	星期
Central Plains Mandarin	Wanrong	星期
	Xi'an	星期, 禮拜
	Xining	星期
	Xuzhou	星期, 禮拜
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	期, 星期
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	星期, 禮拜
	Lanzhou	星期
	Ürümqi	禮拜, 星期
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	星期, 禮拜
	Wuhan	星期, 禮拜
	Guiyang	禮拜, 星期
	Liuzhou	禮拜, 星期
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	禮拜
Cantonese	Guangzhou	禮拜
	Hong Kong	禮拜, 星期
	Taishan	星期, 禮拜
	Dongguan	禮拜
	Yangjiang	禮拜, 星期
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	禮拜
	Singapore (Guangfu)	禮拜
Gan	Nanchang	禮拜
	Lichuan	禮拜
	Pingxiang	禮拜
Hakka	Meixian	星期
	Yudu	禮拜
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	禮拜
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	禮拜
	Pingtung (Wuluo, Ligang; S. Sixian)	禮拜
	Kaohsiung (Meinong; S. Sixian)	禮拜
	Kaohsiung (Shanlin; S. Sixian)	禮拜
	Kuching (Hepo)	禮拜
Huizhou	Jixi	禮拜, 星期
Jin	Taiyuan	禮拜
	Xinzhou	星期, 禮拜
Northern Min	Jian'ou	星期
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	禮拜
Southern Min	Xiamen	禮拜
	Quanzhou	禮拜
	Zhangzhou	禮拜
	Kaohsiung	禮拜
	Tainan	禮拜
	Penang (Hokkien)	禮拜
	Singapore (Hokkien)	禮拜
	Manila (Hokkien)	禮拜
	Singapore (Teochew)	禮拜
	Haikou	禮拜
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	禮拜
	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	禮拜
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	禮拜, 星期
Wu	Shanghai	禮拜
	Shanghai (Songjiang)	禮拜
	Shanghai (Chongming)	禮拜
	Suzhou	禮拜, 星期
	Danyang	禮拜
	Hangzhou	禮拜, 星期
	Ningbo	禮拜
	Wenzhou	禮拜
	Jinhua	星期
Xiang	Loudi	禮拜

Dialectal synonyms of 星期日 (“Sunday”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		星期日, 星期天, 週日, 週天 regional
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	星期天兒, 禮拜天兒
	Taiwan	星期天, 禮拜天, 星期日, 禮拜日
	Harbin	星期天, 禮拜日, 禮拜天, 禮拜
	Malaysia	拜日
	Singapore	禮拜天, 禮拜, 星期天, 星期日
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	禮拜天, 禮拜
	Jinan	星期, 星期天, 禮拜, 禮拜天
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	星期, 禮拜
	Qingdao	禮拜天
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	星期日, 星期
	Wanrong	星期
	Zhengzhou	禮拜天, 星期天
	Xi'an	星期天, 星期, 禮拜天, 禮拜
	Xining	星期日, 星期天, 星期
	Xuzhou	星期天, 星期, 禮拜天, 禮拜
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	星期日, 禮拜天, 葉克閃白
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	星期天, 星期日, 禮拜天, 禮拜日, 星期, 葉克閃白 Hui
	Lanzhou	星期天, 星期, 禮拜天, 禮拜
	Ürümqi	禮拜天, 星期天
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	星期天, 禮拜天
	Wuhan	星期日, 星期天, 禮拜日, 禮拜天, 星期, 禮拜
	Guiyang	禮拜天, 星期天
	Kunming	禮拜天, 星期
	Liuzhou	星期天, 禮拜天, 禮拜
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	禮拜天, 禮拜, 星期天
	Hefei	禮拜天, 星期天
Cantonese	Guangzhou	禮拜, 禮拜日, 星期日
	Hong Kong	禮拜, 禮拜日, 星期日
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	禮拜日
	Macau	禮拜
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	禮拜日
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	禮拜
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	禮拜
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	禮拜
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	禮拜日
	Foshan (Shunde)	禮拜日
	Foshan (Sanshui)	禮拜日
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	星期日
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	禮拜
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	禮拜
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	禮拜
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	禮拜
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	禮拜
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	禮拜日
	Taishan	禮拜
	Kaiping (Chikan)	禮拜日
	Enping (Niujiang)	禮拜日
	Heshan (Yayao)	星期日
	Dongguan	禮拜, 禮拜日
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	禮拜
	Yangjiang	禮拜日, 星期日
	Nanning	禮拜日
	Singapore (Guangfu)	禮拜
Gan	Nanchang	禮拜日, 禮拜日子, 禮拜
	Lichuan	禮拜日
	Pingxiang	禮拜日子, 禮拜日, 禮拜
Hakka	Meixian	星期日
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	禮拜日
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	禮拜
	Longmen (Luxi; Bendihua)	星期日
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	禮拜日
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	禮拜
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	星期日
	Nanjing (Meilin)	星期日
	Nanjing (Tianluokeng, Shuyang)	星期日
	Yudu	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Taoyuan	禮拜日
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Pingtung (Wuluo, Ligang; S. Sixian)	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Kaohsiung (Meinong; S. Sixian)	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Kaohsiung (Shanlin; S. Sixian)	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	禮拜日, 禮拜, 日曜
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	禮拜, 禮拜日
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	禮拜日, 日曜
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	禮拜, 禮拜日, 日曜
	Kuching (Hepo)	拜日
Huizhou	Jixi	禮拜日, 星期日
	Shexian	禮拜日
	Huangshan (Tunxi)	禮拜日, 星期日
Jin	Taiyuan	禮拜天, 星期天, 禮拜
	Pingyao	禮拜日, 星期日
	Xinzhou	星期下, 禮拜下
	Hohhot	禮拜下
Northern Min	Jian'ou	禮拜工, 星期日, 禮拜日
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Fuqing	禮拜日, 禮拜, 拜日
	Matsu	禮拜日
Southern Min	Xiamen	禮拜日, 禮拜, 星期日
	Quanzhou	禮拜日, 禮拜, 拜日
	Yongchun	禮拜, 拜日, 禮拜日
	Zhangzhou	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Zhao'an	星期日, 禮拜日
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	禮拜日
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	禮拜
	Kaohsiung	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	禮拜日
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Yilan (Luodong)	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Yilan (Toucheng)	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Tainan (Anping)	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Kinmen	禮拜日
	Penghu (Xiyu)	禮拜日
	Penang (Hokkien)	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Singapore (Hokkien)	禮拜日, 禮拜
	Manila (Hokkien)	拜日
	Shantou	星期日, 拜日
	Puning	星期日
	Singapore (Teochew)	禮拜
	Haikou	禮拜日, 禮拜
Puxian Min	Putian	禮拜日
	Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang)	禮拜日
	Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu)	禮拜日
	Xianyou	禮拜日
	Xianyou (Fengting)	禮拜日
	Xianyou (Youyang)	禮拜日
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	禮拜
	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	禮拜
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	禮拜日, 星期日
Wu	Shanghai	禮拜天, 禮拜日, 星期天
	Shanghai (Songjiang)	禮拜日
	Shanghai (Chongming)	禮拜日
	Suzhou	禮拜日, 禮拜, 星期日
	Danyang	禮拜天, 禮拜, 星期天
	Hangzhou	禮拜天, 禮拜, 星期天
	Ningbo	禮拜, 禮拜日
	Wenzhou	禮拜日, 星期日
	Jinhua	禮拜日, 星期日
Xiang	Changsha	星期天
	Xiangtan	星期天, 禮拜日, 星期日
	Loudi	禮拜日, 禮拜

Derived terms

• 下禮拜 / 下礼拜 (xiàlǐbài)
• 上禮拜 / 上礼拜 (shànglǐbài)
• 做禮拜 / 做礼拜 (zuò lǐbài)
• 大禮拜 / 大礼拜 (dàlǐbài)
• 小禮拜 / 小礼拜 (xiǎolǐbài)
• 廠禮拜 / 厂礼拜 (chǎnglǐbài)
• 禮拜一 / 礼拜一 (lǐbàiyī)
• 禮拜三 / 礼拜三 (lǐbàisān)
• 禮拜二 / 礼拜二 (lǐbài'èr)
• 禮拜五 / 礼拜五 (lǐbàiwǔ)
• 禮拜儀式 / 礼拜仪式 (lǐbài yíshì)
• 禮拜兩 / 礼拜两
• 禮拜六 / 礼拜六 (lǐbàiliù)
• 禮拜四 / 礼拜四 (lǐbàisì)
• 禮拜堂 / 礼拜堂 (lǐbàitáng)
• 禮拜天 / 礼拜天 (lǐbàitiān)
• 禮拜寺 / 礼拜寺 (lǐbàisì)
• 禮拜尾 / 礼拜尾
• 禮拜工 / 礼拜工
• 禮拜日 / 礼拜日 (lǐbàirì)

Verb

禮拜

1. (transitive) to worship

   禮拜神佛／礼拜神佛  ―  lǐbài shénfó  ―  to worship deities

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (禮拜):

• → Japanese: 礼拝(れいはい) (reihai); 礼拝(らいはい) (raihai)
• → Korean: 례배(禮拜) (ryebae), 예배(禮拜) (yebae)
• → Vietnamese: lễ bái (禮拜)

Others:

• Zhuang: lijbai

Further reading

• “禮拜”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
禮	拜
れい Jinmeiyō	はい Jinmeiyō
on'yomi

Kanji in this term
禮	拜
らい Jinmeiyō	はい Jinmeiyō
on'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 禮拜 – see the following entry.

【礼拝らいはい】 [noun] (Buddhism) divine worship, religious service [verb] (Buddhism) to worship 【礼拝れいはい】 [noun] (Christianity) divine worship, religious service [verb] (Christianity) to worship

(This term, 禮拜, is the kyūjitai of the above term.)

Korean

Hanja in this term
禮	拜

Noun

禮拜 • (yebae) (hangeul 예배)

1. hanja form^? of 예배 (“divine worship, religious service”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
禮	拜

Verb

禮拜

1. chữ Hán form of lễ bái (“to worship”).