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俗世 (ぞくせ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

俗ぞく世せ

also: ぞくせい

ぞ

く

せ

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

this world; mundane life; earthly existence

Refers to the secular, everyday world as opposed to the spiritual or monastic realm. Often used in Buddhist or literary contexts.

僧そう侶りょは俗ぞく世せを離はなれて修しゅ行ぎょうに専せん念ねんした。
The monk left the mundane world and devoted himself to ascetic practice.
彼かれは俗ぞく世せのしがらみから逃のがれたいと思おもっている。
He wants to escape the entanglements of worldly life.

Written forms

俗世Usage100%
- ぞくせ
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading ぞくせ is more common than ぞくせい.
- ぞくせい
  Alternate reading; less common and may be considered non-standard or archaic.

ぞくせい

Kanji

俗vulgar, customs, manners
世generation, world, society

Similar words

世せ俗ぞく
世俗 is more common and neutral for 'secular' or 'worldly' matters, while 俗世 has a stronger literary or religious nuance of 'this transient world'.
浮うき世よ
浮世 refers to the 'floating world' of transient pleasures, especially in Edo-period culture, whereas 俗世 is a broader term for the secular world.

Etymology

Compound of 俗 (vulgar, worldly) and 世 (world, generation). The reading ぞくせ is a regular on'yomi combination; ぞくせい may reflect an older or alternative reading.