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境内 (けいだい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
noun
grounds ; precincts ; compound
Refers to the enclosed area of a shrine or temple, including buildings, gardens, and paths. Often used in contexts of visiting, walking around, or describing the atmosphere of the sacred space.
前まえ
に
手て
を
清きよ
め
て
ください
。
Please purify your hands before entering the precincts.
Written forms 境けい 内だい Usage 99%
Standard kanji spelling; the only written form.
けいだい Usage 1%
Kanji 境 boundary, border, region Similar words 敷しき 地ち 敷地 is a general term for a plot of land or site, used for any building or facility, while 境内 is specifically for religious grounds.
寺じ 社しゃ 寺社 refers to temples and shrines as institutions or buildings, whereas 境内 refers to the physical grounds they occupy.
Etymology 境内 is composed of 境 (boundary, border) and 内 (inside), literally meaning 'inside the boundary'. It has been used since classical times to denote the sacred precincts of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.
