敷しき居い

し

き

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

noun

threshold; sill

architecture

Specifically the grooved threshold for sliding doors in traditional Japanese architecture. Often contrasted with 鴨居 (kamoi, the upper lintel).

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉の敷しき居いを踏ふむto step on a threshold (traditionally considered bad manners/luck in Japan)
敷しき居いを踏ふむのは縁えん起ぎが悪わるいと言いわれている。
It's said to be bad luck to step on a threshold.

Expressions

敷しき居いが高たかいhard to approach; awkward to visit; having a high threshold
敷しき居いの高たかいhard to approach; intimidating; high barrier to entry
敷しき居いをまたぐcross the threshold; pass the threshold

Kanji

敷spread, pave, sit
居reside, to be, exist
閾threshold

Opposites

鴨かも居い
敷居 is the grooved threshold at the bottom of a sliding door frame, while 鴨居 is the corresponding lintel at the top.

Don't confuse with

閾いき値ち
閾 (しきい) alone usually means the physical threshold of a doorway, while 閾値 is the abstract or numerical threshold value used in science and technology.
敷しき
敷き means spreading/a deposit/a floor mattress, whereas 敷居 means the threshold or sill of a doorway; the two share the kanji 敷 but are otherwise unrelated in meaning.
仕し切きり
敷居 (a doorway threshold) sounds similar to 仕切り but refers to a completely different physical feature, not a divider or partition.

Counted with

本ほんN5
book; volume; script · this; present; current; in question · main; head; principal · real; genuine; regular; proper · counter for long cylindrical objects; counter for films, TV shows, etc.; counter for goals, home runs, etc.; counter for telephone calls

Word family

窓まど敷しき居い
window sill; window ledge
敷しき居い値ち演えん算ざん
threshold operation
敷しき居い値ち素そ子し
threshold gate; threshold element

Written forms

敷しき居いUsage63%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency and priority-tagged.
しきUsage27%
閾Usage5%

Etymology

Compound of 敷 (shiki, 'spread, lay') + 居 (i, 'seat, being'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the idea of a laid base or sill.

敷しき居い値ち関かん数すう

threshold function

敷しき居い値ちゲート

threshold gate; threshold element

しきい
Rare kanji form; also has readings しきみ and しき. Mainly encountered in older or technical texts.
しき
しきみ

しきいUsage5%

Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the kanji is not needed.

しきみ