世せ知ち

noun

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'.

• 彼かれは世せ知ちに長たけていて、どんな状じょう況きょうでもうまく立たち回まわる。

  He is worldly-wise and handles any situation skillfully.

• 世せ知ち辛がらい世よの中なかだからこそ、人ひとを思おもいやる気き持もちが大たい切せつだ。

  Precisely because it's a harsh world, compassion for others is important.

noun

stingy person; miser

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.

• 古こ文ぶん書しょには、世せ知ちと評ひょうされる商しょう人にんの話はなしが載のっている。

  In old documents, there is a story about a merchant who was called a miser.