Kannon

K5A1N1N1O1N1

proper noun

Kannon, the Japanese version of Guanyin, the Chinese translation of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of mercy and compassion.

OriginJapanese 観音 ← Sanskrit अवलोकितेश्वर →
UncommonScrabble 10
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Meanings

proper noun

alternative dated Kwannon

  1. BuddhismKannon, the Japanese version of Guanyin, the Chinese translation of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of mercy and compassion.

    “A long time ago, Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, made a deep vow to free all beings and help us wake up to our true and luminous nature.”

    2021, Ruth Ozeki, The Book of Form and Emptiness, Canongate Books (2022), page 413

Origin

  1. Sanskritअवलोकितेश्वर
  2. Japanese観音
  3. EnglishKannon

From Japanese 観音 (Kannon), from Middle Chinese 觀音 (MC kwan 'im), a translation of Sanskrit अवलोकितेश्वर (avalokiteśvara).

More words from Japanese, Sanskrit

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Kannon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kannon

MLA

“Kannon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kannon. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Kannon,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kannon.

Source: Kannon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.