noun
male Buddhist novice; young monk in training
Refers to a young male who has entered a Buddhist monastery but has not yet received full ordination. The reading さみ is less common.
彼は若くして沙弥となり、修行に励んだ。
He became a novice monk at a young age and devoted himself to training.
僧侶 is a general term for a fully ordained Buddhist monk, while 沙弥 specifically refers to a novice who has not yet taken full vows.
Borrowed from Sanskrit śrāmaṇera via Chinese, referring to a novice Buddhist monk.