界
world, boundary
Readings
On'yomi
- カイ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
界 centers on a defined area or realm: a world, sphere, or the boundary that separates one domain from another.
Most common words using 界
24 of 438- 世界せかいN5
the world; society; the universe
- 業界ぎょうかいN1
business world; business circles; (the) industry
- 世界中せかいじゅうN4
around the world; throughout the world
- 限界げんかいN3
limit; bound
- 世界一せかいいち
best in the world
- 境界きょうかいN2
boundary; border; limit; bounds; frontier
- 界隈かいわい
neighborhood; neighbourhood; vicinity
- 視界しかい
field of vision; visibility; view; visual field; (one's) ken
- 政界せいかいN1
(world of) politics; political world; political circles
- 財界ざいかいN1
financial world; business circles
- 臨界りんかい
boundary
- 外界がいかい
outside world; physical world
- 球界きゅうかい
the baseball world
- 下界げかい
the earth below; the ground below
- 世界銀行せかいぎんこう
World Bank
- 学界がっかいN1
academic world; academia; academic circles; scientific world; learned circles
- 法曹界ほうそうかい
legal circles
- 角界かくかい
the world of sumo
- 官界かんかい
bureaucracy
- 世界的せかいてきN3
worldwide; global; international; universal
- 産業界さんぎょうかい
the industrial world
- 経済界けいざいかい
economic world; financial circles; business community
- 全世界ぜんせかい
the whole world
- 第二次世界大戦だいにじせかいたいせん
Second World War (1939-1945); World War II; WWII; WW2
Study
Etymology
界 combines 田 (field) and 介, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of dividing or separating. Together they suggest a boundary between fields, hence a defined world or realm.
Meaning mnemonic
A field (田) divided by a person (介) standing between them creates a boundary, defining separate worlds.
Reading mnemonic
For カイ, imagine a kite flying over the boundary between two fields: kite -> カイ, and the kite marks the edge of the world.