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三十八度線 (さんじゅうはちどせん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

三さん十じゅう八はち度ど線せん

さ

ん

じゅ

う

は

ち

ど

せ

ん

Common word

Meanings

1

noun

38th parallel; 38th parallel north (Korean DMZ)

Specifically refers to the line of latitude that divides North and South Korea, established after WWII.

朝ちょう鮮せん戦せん争そうは三さん十じゅう八はち度ど線せんを挟はさんで激はげしく戦たたかわれた。
The Korean War was fiercely fought across the 38th parallel.
休きゅう戦せんライン

は

ほぼ

三さん

十じゅう

八はち

度ど

線せん

に

沿そ

っ

て

いる

。

The armistice line roughly follows the 38th parallel.

Written forms

三さん十じゅう八はち度ど線せん
Full kanji spelling; standard in formal writing.
３８度線さんじゅうはちどせん
Common numeric abbreviation; frequently used in news and maps.

Kanji

度degrees, occurrence, time
線line, track
三three
十ten
八eight, eight radical (no. 12)

Similar words

軍ぐん事じ境きょう界かい線せん
Refers to the actual Military Demarcation Line (MDL) established by the armistice, which is near but not exactly the 38th parallel.
北ほく緯い38度ど線せん
A more technical term for the 38th parallel north, used in geography without necessarily implying the Korean division.

Etymology

Compound of 三十八 (thirty-eight), 度 (degree), and 線 (line). The term gained geopolitical significance after the division of Korea in 1945.