worldly wisdom; practical savvy; gumption
Refers to shrewdness in navigating the world, often with a slightly negative nuance of being calculating or street-smart. Commonly used in the phrase 世知辛い (せちがらい), meaning 'the world is harsh' or 'it's a dog-eat-dog world'.
He is worldly-wise and handles any situation skillfully.
Rare, archaic usage referring to a person who is tight-fisted or miserly. Not used in modern Japanese; the meaning is preserved mainly in older texts.
世知辛い世の中だからこそ、人を思いやる気持ちが大切だ。
Precisely because it's a harsh world, compassion for others is important.
In old documents, there is a story about a merchant who was called a miser.
Means 'wisdom' or 'intelligence' in a general, positive sense, whereas 世知 implies a more practical, sometimes cunning, worldly wisdom.
Standard kanji spelling for this word.
Variant kanji spelling using 智 (wisdom) instead of 知 (knowledge). Less common.
Derived from 世智, a Buddhist and literary term for worldly knowledge or practical wisdom; 世知 became the usual Japanese spelling.