世界

Coined by Buddhist translators (c. 4th century) to translate Sanskrit लोकधातु (lokadhātu, “world”). In its original Buddhist sense, the word encompassed a range of spatial meanings from a 小世界 (xiǎo shìjiè, “minor world”) with a single sun and moon to the billion-world 三千大千世界 (sānqiān-dàqiān-shìjiè, “trichiliocosm”). Its modern sense dates from Japanese re-adaptation of the word in the nineteenth century and it has since largely displaced the classical 天下 (tiānxià, “all-under-Heaven”) in general usage.

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

   • 十方世界諸佛世尊，去來現在亦復如是。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     十方世界诸佛世尊，去来现在亦复如是。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: From: The Lotus Sutra 《正法華經》, translated by Dharmarakṣa c. 3rd century CE

     Shífāng shìjiè zhū fó shìzūn, qù lái xiànzài yì fù rúshì. [Pinyin]

     All Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, of the worlds of the Ten Directions, and those of the past, future, and present are also thus.

4. (Buddhism) space, universe
5. (Northern Wu) place, territory

   一天世界 [Shanghainese]  ―  ⁷iq-thi-sy-ka [Wugniu]  ―  a mess

• (world):

• (place):

• 人間／人间 (rénjiān)
• 宇宙 (yǔzhòu)

Others:

• → Zhuang: seiqgyaiq

• Ding, Fubao (丁福保) (1922), “世界” in 佛學大辭典 [A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms].

世界

1. (Taiwanese Hokkien) extremely; super

   世界甜 [Taiwanese Hokkien]  ―  sè-kài tiⁿ [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  super sweet

   • 對你世界好　不通擱再嫌 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
     对你世界好　不通搁再嫌 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]

     From: 劉福助, ft. 李亞萍, lyrics by 劉福助, 𠯦𠯦嘜相欠

     tùi lí sè-kài hó, m̄-thang koh-chài hiâm [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

     I treat you super well, stop complaining

• “Entry #1355”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.

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.

• (Tokyo) せ​かい [séꜜkàì] (Atamadaka – [1])[2][3][4]
• IPA^(key): [se̞ka̠i]

• Audio

  (file)

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

世(せ)界(かい) • (Sekai) 

1. a female given name
2. a surname

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.

世界 • (segye) (hangeul 세계)

1. Hanja form^? of 세계 (“world”).

From Middle Chinese 世界 (ɕiᴇi^H kˠɛi^H). Cognate with Japanese 世(せ)界(かい) (sekai).

• IPA^(key): /ɕikeː/

世界(しけー) (shikē) 

1. world, society

世界

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