世の中

Japanese

Kanji in this term
世	中
よ Grade: 3	なか Grade: 1
kun'yomi

Alternative spellings
世中 世間

Etymology

世 (yo) +‎ の (no) +‎ 中 (naka)

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) よのなか [yònóꜜnàkà] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [jo̞no̞na̠ka̠]

Noun

世(よ)の中(なか) • (yononaka) 

1. the society made of living people of the world:
   1. [from 759] the current world

      Synonyms: 現世 (gense), この世 (konoyo)

   2. [from the early 900s] the secular world; the world inhabited by ordinary people, as opposed to enlightment for monks

      Synonyms: 俗世 (zokuse), 俗世間 (zokuseken), 娑婆 (shaba)

   3. [from 759] a society; the life and customs of the world
      • 2014, 野々村竜太郎 (Ryutaro Nonomura)

        この日(に)本(ほん)…世(よ)の中(なか)を変(か)えたい！

        Kono Nihon…yo no naka o kaetai!

        To Japan… I want to change society!

   4. [from the early 1000s] land; world
   5. [from 1849] a range where influence or power is exhibited
   6. [from 759] an unchanged or ordinary state of the world
   7. [from 1092] the state or condition of the world
2. [from the early 1000s] a living; livelihood

   1. Synonyms: 生計 (seikei), 世渡り (yowatari)

   2. [from the late 800s] the relations of male and female

      Synonym: 夫婦仲 (fūfunaka)

3. a period where time passes:
   1. [from 759] the life of a person

      Synonym: 人生 (jinsei)

   2. [from the late 900s] the emperor's reign
   3. the current days; nowadays

      Synonyms: 当節 (tōsetsu), 当世 (“tōsei”)

4. the environment surrounding the human world:
   1. [from the early 900s] a spatial expanse that surrounds the human world
   2. [from 1672] the weather (of a period)

      Synonyms: 天候 (tenkō), 気候 (kikō)

   3. [from 1120] the growth of crops; a good harvest
5. [from the early 1000s] (used with の (no) or に (ni))) which is unique to the world