来らい世せ

ら

い

せ

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

afterlife; the next world; the world beyond

Primarily a Buddhist term for the world after death, but also used in general contexts to refer to the afterlife or the next life.

彼かれは来らい世せを信しんじている。
He believes in the afterlife.
来らい世せでまた会あおう。
Let's meet again in the next world.

See all 22 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

来らい世せに生うまれ変かわるto be reborn in the next life
彼かれは来らい世せに幸しあわせな家か庭ていに生うまれ変かわりたいと願ねがっていた。
He wished to be reborn into a happy family in his next life.
来らい世せで会あうto meet again in the next life
また来らい世せで会あいましょうと彼かの女じょは言いった。
"Let's meet again in our next life," she said.
来らい世せを信しんじるto believe in the afterlife
多おおくの仏ぶっ教きょう徒とは来らい世せを信しんじている。
Many Buddhists believe in the afterlife.

Kanji

来come, due, next
世generation, world, society

Related words

あの世よN1
あの世 is the everyday, colloquial word for the world after death, while 来世 is the more formal Buddhist term for one's next incarnation.
後ご生しょう
後生 is an older Buddhist expression for the afterlife or one's fate after death, close in register to 来世 but used mainly in set phrases like 後生大事.
冥めい土ど
冥土 emphasizes the dark underworld or realm of the dead, whereas 来世 focuses on the idea of a next life or existence.

Opposites

現げん世せ
現世 means this present life on earth, the direct opposite of 来世, the life to come after death.

Don't confuse with

前ぜん世せ
前世 (a past life before this one) is easily confused with 来世 (the next life after this one) because both pair with 現世 in Buddhist cosmology but point in opposite time directions.

Word family

来らい世せい紀き
next century
来らい世せ信しん仰こう
belief in the afterlife; belief in the next world

Written forms

来世Usage100%
- らいせ
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading らいせい is rare and not normally written with this kanji.
- らいせい
らいせい

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 來世 (MC lʌi ɕiᴇiH), literally 'coming world'. The reading らいせい is a rare alternative, possibly influenced by the on'yomi of 世 as せい in some compounds.