also: ぶっだ
noun
Refers specifically to the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. In Japanese, often used in Buddhist contexts or when discussing the founder of Buddhism.
ブッダはインドで生まれた。
The Buddha was born in India.
彼はブッダの教えに深く感銘を受けた。
He was deeply impressed by the teachings of the Buddha.
Kanji spelling; rarely used in modern Japanese, mostly in historical or religious contexts.
Search-only kanji form; not commonly used.
Hiragana variant, less common than katakana but still used.
仏 (ほとけ) is a broader term for any Buddha or Buddhist deity, and can also refer to a deceased person or a merciful person. ブッダ specifically denotes the historical Buddha.
From Sanskrit बुद्ध (buddha), meaning 'awakened one' or 'enlightened one', via Pali and Chinese.