世

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

世 (Kangxi radical 1, 一+4, 5 strokes, cangjie input 心廿 (PT), four-corner 4471₇, composition ⿻廿𠃊 or ⿻七凵)

Derived characters

• 泄, 迣, 抴, 呭, 枻, 袣, 紲, 詍, 跇, 靾, 齛, 枼, 貰, 疶, 屜

Descendants

• せ
• セ

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 77, character 11
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 31
• Dae Jaweon: page 155, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 14, character 6
• Unihan data for U+4E16

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Chinese

simp. and trad.		世
alternative forms		丗 卋 㔺

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 世
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Bronze inscriptions b02948 b02949 b02950 b02951 b02952 b02953 b02954 b02955 b02956 b02957 b02958 b02959 b02960 b02961 b02962 b02963 b02964 b02965 b02966 b02967 b02968 b02969 b02970 b02971 b02972 Small seal script s01647 Transcribed ancient scripts L35781 L35782 L35783 L35784 L35785 L35786 L35787 L35788 L35789 L35790 L35791 L35792 L35793 L19868 L19869 L19870 L19871 L19872 L19873 L19874 L19875 L19876 L19877 L19878 L19879 L19880 L19881 L19882 L19883 L19884 L19885
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series (世) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
貰	*ɦljebs, *hljebs
跇	*l̥ʰebs, *lebs
迣	*ʔljebs
世	*hljebs
泄	*lebs, *sled
枻	*lebs
詍	*lebs
靾	*lebs
袣	*lebs
抴	*lebs, *led
呭	*lebs
勩	*lebs, *libs
屜	*l̥ʰeːbs
鰈	*l̥ʰaːb, *l'eːb
渫	*zreːb, *sled
煠	*zreːb, *l̥ʰeb, *leb
喋	*rlaːb, *ʔl'eːb, *l'eːb
鞢	*rlaːb, *sleːb
殜	*l'eb, *leb, *lab
葉	*hljeb, *leb
弽	*hljeb, *hleːb
韘	*hljeb, *sleːb
枼	*leb
楪	*leb
揲	*leb, *l'eːb, *ɦljed
鍱	*leb
偞	*leb, *hleːb
蝶	*l̥ʰeːb, *l'eːb
牒	*l'eːb
蹀	*l'eːb
諜	*l'eːb
堞	*l'eːb
牃	*l'eːb
褋	*l'eːb
惵	*l'eːb
碟	*l'eːb
屧	*sleːb
屟	*sleːb
紲	*sled
齛	*sled
疶	*sled
緤	*sled
媟	*sled

• Pictogram (象形) – three leaves on a branch. The derivative 葉 (OC *hljeb, *leb) refers to the original word.
• Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意) : Triplication of 十 (“ten”) - thirty, such as a variant form 丗. Thirty years make one generation (thirty times twelve months gives 360 months). Compare 廿 (OC *njɯb, “twenty”).

Etymology

世 (OC *hljebs) is derived from iterative devoicing of 葉 (OC *leb, “leaf”) + *-s suffix, meaning successive foliages of a tree > generations. Compare Tibetan ལོ་མ (lo ma, “leaf”), Western Tibetan ལོབ་མ (lob ma, “leaf”) and Tibetan ལོ (lo, “year”).

Definitions

(deprecated template usage) 世

1. generation

   世代  ―  shìdài  ―  generation

2. for many generations; spanning many generations
3. era; period; time; epoch
4. dynasty; regime
5. year; age
6. Classifier for the time of one's life.

   一生一世  ―  yīshēngyīshì  ―  a lifetime, all of one's life

7. world; earth; people in the world

   世界  ―  shìjiè  ―  world

8. worldly; profane; secular
9. a surname

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Japanese

Kanji

世

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: せ (se, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: せい (sei, Jōyō)
• Kun: よ (yo, 世, Jōyō)
• Nanori: とし (toshi); ゆ (yu); ゆき (yuki)

Compounds

Compounds

• 世(せ)界(かい) (sekai)
• 世(せい)紀(き) (seiki)
• 世(せ)辞(じ) (seji)
• 永(えい)世(せい) (eisei)

Etymology 1

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

⟨yo₂⟩ → /yo/

From Old Japanese, pronunciation is distinct from 夜 (/⁠yo₁⁠/, “night, nighttime”).

Change in meaning of 節 (yo), in the sense of the bamboos and reeds bulging at certain intervals.

Alternative forms

• 代

Noun

世(よ) • (yo) 

1. world, society
2. this world, this life

   Synonym: 俗世間 (zoku seken)

3. generation, age, era
4. lifetime

   Synonym: 一生 (isshō)

5. lifespan

   Synonym: 寿命 (jumyō)

6. time of year, season

   Synonyms: 時節 (jisetsu), 時期 (jiki), 折 (ori)

7. relationship between a man and a woman
8. period of a person leading as a patriarch (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 神(かみ)世(よ) (kamiyo)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
世
せい Grade: 3
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 世 (MC syejH). The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing.

Counter

世(せい) • (-sei) 

1. generation

   ルパン三(さん)世(せい)

   Rupan-sansei

   Lupin the Third

Suffix

世(せい) • (-sei) 

1. (geology) epoch

Proper noun

世(せい) • (Sei) 

1. a female given name

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Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 世 (MC syejH). Recorded as Middle Korean 셰〯 (syěy) (Yale: syey) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Wikisource

世 (eumhun 인간 세 (in'gan se))

1. hanja form^? of 세 (“world”)
2. hanja form^? of 세 (“lineage; generation”)

Compounds

Compounds

• 세가 (世家, sega)
• 세간 (世間, segan)
• 세계 (世界, segye)
• 세기 (世紀, segi)
• 세대 (世代, sedae)
• 세도 (世道, sedo)
• 세로 (世路, sero)
• 세사 (世事, sesa)
• 세상 (世上, sesang)
• 세상 (世相, sesang)
• 세속 (世俗, sesok)
• 세습 (世襲, seseup)
• 세자 (世子, seja)
• 세정 (世情, sejeong)
• 세조 (世祖, Sejo)
• 세종 (世宗, Sejong)
• 세칭 (世稱, seching)
• 세태 (世態, setae)
• 세파 (世波, sepa)
• 세평 (世評, sepyeong)
• 개세 (慨世, gaese)
• 개세 (蓋世, gaese)
• 거세 (擧世, geose)
• 격세 (隔世, gyeokse)
• 경세 (經世, gyeongse)
• 근세 (近世, geunse)
• 금세 (今世, geumse)
• 기세 (棄世, gise)
• 기세 (欺世, gise)
• 난세/란세 (亂世, nanse/ranse)
• 내세/래세 (來世, naese/raese)
• 누세/루세 (累世, nuse/ruse)
• 도세 (渡世, dose)
• 돈세 (遯世, donse)
• 둔세 (遁世, dunse)
• 별세 (別世, byeolse)
• 사세 (斯世, sase)
• 섭세 (涉世, seopse)
• 성세 (盛世, seongse)
• 속세 (俗世, sokse)
• 시세 (時世, sise)
• 신세 (身世, sinse)
• 아세 (阿世, ase)
• 염세 (厭世, yeomse)
• 위세 (緯世, wise)
• 이세 (二世, ise)
• 일세 (一世, ilse)
• 절세 (絶世, jeolse)
• 제세 (濟世, jese)
• 조세 (早世, jose)
• 중세 (中世, jungse)
• 진세 (塵世, jinse)
• 처세 (處世, cheose)
• 치세 (治世, chise)
• 피세 (避世, pise)
• 행세 (行世, haengse)
• 혁세 (奕世, hyeokse)
• 현세 (現世, hyeonse)
• 후세 (後世, huse)
• 희세 (希世, huise)
• 희세 (稀世, huise)
• 세계관 (世界觀, segyegwan)
• 세계어 (世界語, segyeeo)
• 세계적 (世界的, segyejeok)
• 세기말 (世紀末, segimal)
• 세상사 (世上事, sesangsa)
• 세속적 (世俗的, sesokjeok)
• 관세음 (觀世音, gwanseeum)
• 구세군 (救世軍, gusegun)
• 구세주 (救世主, guseju)
• 불세출 (不世出, bulsechul)
• 신세대 (新世代, sinsedae)
• 왕세손 (王世孫, wangseson)
• 왕세자 (王世子, wangseja)
• 은세계 (銀世界, eunsegye)
• 일세기 (一世紀, ilsegi)
• 창세기 (創世記, changsegi)
• 처세술 (處世術, cheosesul)
• 처세훈 (處世訓, cheosehun)
• 기개세 (氣蓋世, gigaese)
• 여세마둔 (厲世摩鈍, yeosemadun)
• 염세주의 (厭世主義, yeomsejuui)
• 기성세대 (旣成世代, giseongsedae)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

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Okinawan

Kanji

世

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

• On (unclassified): し (shi)
• Kun: ゆー (yū, 世)

Compounds

Compounds

• アメリカ世(ゆー) (amerika-yū): American era or rule over the Okinawan Islands
• 戦(いくさ)世(ゆー) (ikusayū): wartime, war era, war period
• 世(し)界(けー) (shikē): world, society
• 大和(やまとぅ)世(ゆー) (yamatu-yū): Japanese era or rule over the Okinawan Islands

Etymology

Kanji in this term
世
ゆー Grade: 3
kun'yomi

Cognate with mainland Japanese 世 (yo).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [juː]

Noun

世(ゆー) (yū) 

1. age, era, period, time; rule
2. world, society

Derived terms

• アメリカ世(ゆー) (amerika-yū): American era or rule over the Okinawan Islands
• 戦(いくさ)世(ゆー) (ikusayū): wartime, war era, war period
• 大和(やまとぅ)世(ゆー) (yamatu-yū): Japanese era or rule over the Okinawan Islands

References

• “ゆー【世】” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.
• “ユー” in Okinawa Center of Language Study, Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary (archived; reopens 2024).

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Vietnamese

Han character

世: Hán Nôm readings: thế, thá, thé, thể

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

References

• Nom Foundation