世界

Chinese
 
life; age; generation
life; age; generation; era; world; lifetime
 
boundary; scope; extent
boundary; scope; extent; circles; group; kingdom (taxonomy)
simp. and trad.
(世界)		 世 界

Etymology

Coined by Buddhist translator Kumārajīva (c. 5th century), translating Sanskrit लोकधातु (lokadhātu, “region or part of the world”).

Pronunciation

Rime
Character 世 界
Reading # 1/1 1/1
Initial (聲) 書 (26) 見 (28)
Final (韻) 祭 (35) 皆 (33)
Tone (調) Departing (H) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Open Open
Division (等) III II
Fanqie 舒制切 古拜切
Baxter syejH keajH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang		 /ɕiᴇiH/ /kˠɛiH/
Pan
Wuyun		 /ɕiɛiH/ /kᵚæiH/
Shao
Rongfen		 /ɕjæiH/ /kɐiH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank		 /ɕiajH/ /kəɨjH/
Li
Rong		 /ɕiɛiH/ /kɛiH/
Wang
Li		 /ɕĭɛiH/ /kɐiH/
Bernard
Karlgren		 /ɕi̯ɛiH/ /kăiH/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex		 shì jiè
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex		 sai3 gaai3

Noun

世界

  1. world
    世界地圖／世界地图  ―  shìjiè dìtú  ―  world map
    世界秩序  ―  shìjiè zhìxù  ―  world order
    世界紀錄／世界纪录  ―  shìjiè jìlù  ―  world record
    世界潮流  ―  shìjiè cháoliú  ―  global trend
    內心世界／内心世界  ―  nèixīn shìjiè  ―  inner world
    環遊世界／环游世界  ―  huányóu shìjiè  ―  to travel the world
    世界各地  ―  shìjiè gèdì  ―  all over the world
    穆斯林世界  ―  mùsīlín shìjiè  ―  Muslim world
    世界第一大經濟體 [MSC, trad.]
    世界第一大经济体 [MSC, simp.]
    shìjiè dìyīdà jīngjìtǐ [Pinyin]
    world's biggest economy
    列為世界文化遺產 [MSC, trad.]
    列为世界文化遗产 [MSC, simp.]
    lièwéi shìjiè wénhuàyíchǎn [Pinyin]
    to list as a world cultural heritage site
    世界之大，無奇不有。 [MSC, trad.]
    世界之大，无奇不有。 [MSC, simp.]
    Shìjiè zhī dà, wúqíbùyǒu. [Pinyin]
    The world is so big that nothing is too bizarre.
    世界上唯一不變的就是變化。 [MSC, trad.]
    世界上唯一不变的就是变化。 [MSC, simp.]
    Shìjiè shàng wéiyī bùbiàn de jiùshì biànhuà. [Pinyin]
    The only constant in the world is change.
    中國高鐵的發展領先世界。 [MSC, trad.]
    中国高铁的发展领先世界。 [MSC, simp.]
    Zhōngguó gāotiě de fāzhǎn lǐngxiān shìjiè. [Pinyin]
    China is leading the world in high-speed rail.
  2. (tarot) the World
  3. (Buddhism) realm governed by a buddha
  4. (Buddhism) space, universe
  5. (Shanghainese) place, territory
    一天世界  ―  4iq thi sr ka  ―  a mess

Synonyms

Derived terms

Descendants
Sino-Xenic (世界):

Others:

Adverb

世界

  1. (Taiwanese Hokkien) extremely; super
    世界甜 [Taiwanese Hokkien]  ―  sè-kài tiⁿ [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  super sweet

Further reading

Japanese
Kanji in this term
世 界
せ
Grade: 3		 かい
Grade: 3
goon kan’on

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 世界 (MC syejH keajH), originally a translation of Sanskrit लोकधातु (lokadhātu, “region or part of the world”).[1][2] Compare modern Hokkien reading sè-kài.

Pronunciation

Noun

世(せ)界(かい) • (sekai) 

  1. world
    世(せ)界(かい)の各(かっ)国(こく)から
    sekai no kakkoku kara
    from each country of the world
    • 1988 July 30 [1984 July 25], Fujiko F. Fujio, “ふたりぼっち [Just the two of us]”, in ポストの中の明日 [Tomorrow in the Letterbox] (藤子不二雄少年SF短編集; 2), 10th edition, volume 2 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 162:
      目(め)にはみえないが、この世(せ)界(かい)のほかに無(む)数(すう)の世(せ)界(かい)が重(か)さなりあって存(そん)在(ざい)しているという…………。
      Me ni wa mienai ga, kono sekai no hoka ni musū no sekai ga kasanariatte sonzai shite iru to iu………….
      They say there are countless worlds that coexist with this one even though we can’t really see them….
      そしてぼくはふたつの世(せ)界(かい)の境(きょう)界(かい)を破(や)ぶってこっちへとびこんできたんだ‼
      Soshite boku wa futatsu no sekai no kyōkai o yabutte kotchi e tobikonde kita n da‼
      And I somehow managed to get across the boundary between our two worlds!!
    • 1997 June 30 [1980 January 25], Fujiko F. Fujio, “タンポポ空を行く [A Dandelion Soaring in the Sky]”, in ドラえもん [Doraemon], 58th edition, volume 18 (fiction), Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN, page 188:
      はじめて見(み)る広(ひろ)い世(せ)界(かい)が、楽(たの)しみだったわ。
      Hajimete miru hiroi sekai ga, tanoshimi datta wa.
      I was so eager to see the vast world for the first time.
    • 1999 September 23, “ダーク・ラビット [Dark Rabbit]”, in Vol.5, Konami:
      アメリカンコミックの世(せ)界(かい)のウサギ。とても素(す)早(ばや)くちょこまかと動(うご)く。
      Amerikan komikku no sekai no usagi. Totemo subayaku chokomaka to ugoku.
      A bunny from the world of American comics. He restlessly leaps up and down like crazy fast.
    • 2000 January 27, “トゥーン・アリゲーター [Toon Alligator]”, in Vol.7, Konami:
      アメリカンコミックの世(せ)界(かい)から現(あらわ)れた、ワニのモンスター。
      Amerikan komikku no sekai kara arawareta, wani no monsutā.
      A crocodilian monster from the world of American comics.
  2. a metaphorical world (how one lives one's life)
    彼(かれ)はこの世(せ)界(かい)に住(す)んでいないようです。
    Kare wa kono sekai ni sunde inai yō desu.
    It's like he's not living in this world.
  3. society, the times
    Synonyms: 世間 (seken), 世の中 (yo no naka)
  4. a realm, a circle, a sphere
    文(ぶん)学(がく)の世(せ)界(かい)
    bungaku no sekai
    literary circles, the literary world
  5. (Buddhism) the four inner realms of 須弥山 (Shumisen)
  6. (Buddhism) realm governed by a buddha
  7. (Buddhism) space, universe
  8. (tarot) the World

Derived terms
Derived terms

Idioms
Idioms
  • 世(せ)界(かい)に余(あま)った女(おんな)は無(な)い (sekai ni amatta onna wa nai): "there are no leftover women in the world" → there is someone for everyone (said particularly to women)
  • 世(せ)界(かい)に鬼(おに)は無(な)い (sekai ni oni wa nai): "there are no devils in the world" → the world is not full of heartless people, and there are many kind souls who will lend a hand (compare "the kindness of strangers")
  • 世(せ)界(かい)は大(だい)戯(ぎ)場(じょう)の如(ごと)し (sekai wa daigijō no gotoshi, “the world is just like a big theatre → all the world's a stage”)
  • 世(せ)界(かい)は張(は)り物(もの) (sekai wa harimono, “the world is starched clothes → it's all about appearances, clothes make the man”)
  • 世(せ)界(かい)は回(まわ)り持(も)ち (sekai wa mawarimochi, “the world comes in turns → all things come to those who wait, to everything there is a season”)
  • 世(せ)界(かい)半(はん)分(ぶん)自(うぬ)惚(ぼ)れしっかり (sekai hanbun unubore shikkari, “of the world, only halfway, but full of conceit → being full of oneself without bothering to learn much about the world”)
  • 世(せ)界(かい)我(わ)が物(もの) (sekai wagamono, “the world is one's possession → acting as if one owns the world”)

See also
See also

Proper noun

世(せ)界(かい) • (Sekai) 

  1. a female given name
  2. a surname

References
  1. 1995, 大辞泉 (Daijisen) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. 1997, 新明解国語辞典 (Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten), Fifth Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  4. 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN
  • 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.

Korean
Hanja in this term
世界

Noun

世界 • (segye) (hangeul 세계)

  1. Hanja form? of 세계 (“world”).

Okinawan
Kanji in this term
世 界
Grade: 3 Grade: 3

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 世界 (ɕiᴇiH kˠɛiH). Cognate with Japanese 世(せ)界(かい) (sekai).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ɕikeː/

Noun

世界(しけー) (shikē) 

  1. world, society

Vietnamese
chữ Hán Nôm in this term
世界

Noun

世界

  1. chữ Hán form of thế giới (“world”).
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