佛教 (fó jiào) means 'Buddhism' — the religion and philosophical tradition founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) in ancient India. The first character, 佛 (fó), means 'Buddha' or 'enlightened one', and the second, 教 (jiào), means 'teaching', 'doctrine', or 'religion'. Together, they literally mean 'the Buddha's teaching'. Buddhism emphasizes compassion, mindfulness, ethical conduct, and the path to liberation from suffering.

This term is used formally and neutrally across academic, religious, cultural, and historical contexts in Chinese. It refers to the entire tradition — including its doctrines, practices, monastic institutions, and schools — and is distinct from more general terms like 宗教 (zōngjiào, 'religion') or spiritual concepts like 禅 (chán, 'Zen'). In China, 佛教 has deeply influenced art, literature, architecture, and daily life for over two millennia.