現げん世せ

also: げんせい · げんぜ

げ

ん

せ

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

noun

this world; this life; the present world

Buddhism

Buddhist term contrasting the present world with the afterlife or past/future existences. Usually read げんせ.

仏ぶっ教きょうでは、現げん世せでの行おこないが来らい世せに影えい響きょうすると説とく。
Buddhism teaches that one's deeds in this world affect the next life.
彼かれは現げん世せの苦くるしみから逃のがれたいと願ねがった。
He wished to escape the suffering of this world.

noun

Holocene epoch; current geological epoch

Only with reading げんせい

Geological term; reading is げんせい. Also referred to as 完新世.

Usage patterns

現げん世せに生いきるto live in this present world (as opposed to focusing on the afterlife)
仏ぶっ教きょうでは現げん世せに生いきる意い味みを問とい続つづける。
In Buddhism, people continually question the meaning of living in this present world.
現げん世せを捨すてるto renounce this world (in a religious sense)
彼かれは出しゅっ家けして現げん世せを捨すてた。
He became a monk and renounced this world.

Kanji

現present, existing, actual
世generation, world, society

Related words

完かん新しん世せい sense 2
完新世 is the standard geological term for the Holocene epoch, whereas 現世（げんせい）is a less common variant used in the same sense.
この世よN1sense 1
此の世 is the everyday, plain word for 'this world', while 現世 is the more formal Buddhist term for the same idea.
下げ界かい
現世 is the general term for 'this present life' or 'the present world', while 下界 is specifically the Buddhist term contrasting the human world with heaven.
現げん在ざいN3
現世 is the standard Buddhist term for “this world/this life,” while 現在 carries the same meaning only in a less common, secondary sense.

Opposites

来らい世せ sense 1
来世 is the afterlife or next existence, directly contrasted with 現世, the present life.

Word family

現げん世せ利り益やく
worldly benefits from Buddhist practice

Written forms

現世Usage100%
- げんせ
  Standard kanji spelling for the Buddhist sense; also used for the geological sense with reading げんせい.
- げんせい
  Geological term for the Holocene epoch; reading げんせい is restricted to this sense.
- げんぜ
  Rare reading for the Buddhist sense; げんせ is the usual reading.
げんぜ
げんせい

Etymology

From 現 (present, current) + 世 (world, generation). The Buddhist sense is older; the geological sense is a modern calque.

Usage patterns

現げん世せに生いきるto live in this present world (as opposed to focusing on the afterlife)

仏ぶっ教きょうでは現げん世せに生いきる意い味みを問とい続つづける。

In Buddhism, people continually question the meaning of living in this present world.

現げん世せを捨すてるto renounce this world (in a religious sense)

彼かれは出しゅっ家けして現げん世せを捨すてた。

He became a monk and renounced this world.

Related words

完かん新しん世せい sense 2

完新世 is the standard geological term for the Holocene epoch, whereas 現世（げんせい）is a less common variant used in the same sense.

この世よN1sense 1

此の世 is the everyday, plain word for 'this world', while 現世 is the more formal Buddhist term for the same idea.

下げ界かい

現世 is the general term for 'this present life' or 'the present world', while 下界 is specifically the Buddhist term contrasting the human world with heaven.

現げん在ざいN3

現世 is the standard Buddhist term for “this world/this life,” while 現在 carries the same meaning only in a less common, secondary sense.

Written forms

現世Usage100%

げんせ
Standard kanji spelling for the Buddhist sense; also used for the geological sense with reading げんせい.
げんせい
Geological term for the Holocene epoch; reading げんせい is restricted to this sense.
げんぜ
Rare reading for the Buddhist sense; げんせ is the usual reading.

げんぜ

げんせい