also: あめつち
heaven and earth; the universe; nature
A broad, somewhat elevated noun for the whole expanse of heaven and earth, the universe, the world, or nature. Usually read てんち in modern Japanese; あめつち is literary or archaic.
Ancient people regarded heaven and earth as sacred.
We give thanks for the blessings of nature.
Only with reading てんち
Read てんち. Often appears in compounds or set phrases such as 新天地 and 別天地, meaning a new place, realm, or world of activity.
He moved to Hokkaido in search of a new life in a new place.
The hot spring deep in the mountains was a world apart from the city.
Only with reading てんち
Read てんち. Used for the vertical orientation of a page, photo, box, printed matter, and similar objects; 天地が逆 means 'upside down'.
This photo is upside down.
Please check which side of the box is up before opening it.
Only with reading あめつち
Archaic use restricted to the reading あめつち. It refers to the deities of heaven and earth rather than to ordinary 'top and bottom' or 'world' senses.
In classical usage, ametsuchi can refer to the gods of heaven and earth.
I ended up carrying the package upside down.
There is a huge gap between the two players' skill levels.
It was an earth-shaking incident.
another world; a different world; a paradise
Pi (hexagram 12 of the I Ching: Standstill)
Acala's eyes, one looking up and the other looking down
a small world; a microcosm
paradise; heaven on earth
die; dice
having nothing to be ashamed of before heaven and earth
all creation; everything in heaven and earth
creation of the universe; the Creation
the sentient world; all sentient beings
Useful when the archaic reading is written out or being discussed; not the ordinary modern spelling for the common reading てんち.