Meaning of 世界
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- world
How to use 世界
世界 is a common noun for the world, used both literally and for a particular sphere, like 动物世界 (the animal world). It often appears with 全 to mean the whole world. Example: 我想去全世界旅行。(Wǒ xiǎng qù quán shìjiè lǚxíng.) I want to travel all over the world.
世 (shì) means a generation or an age, as in 世纪 (shìjì) century, and 界 (jiè) means a boundary or realm, as in 外界 (wàijiè) the outside world. Put them together and you get everything within the bounds of human life, all ages and all places: the world.
Common mistake: Learners often say both syllables with the same tone or drop the fourth tones; both are fourth tone, shì jiè, so say each one short and falling. Also do not mix up 界 (jiè) with 介 (jiè, as in 介绍), which sounds the same but lacks the 田 on top.
世界 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
世 shì · generation · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
界 jiè · boundary · 9 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Related words
Words that share a character with 世界.
| 去世 | qùshì | to pass away; to die |
| 世纪 | shìjì | century |
| 世界杯 | shìjièbēi | World Cup |
| 全世界 | quán shìjiè | worldwide; entire world |
| 外界 | wàijiè | the outside world; external |
| 文艺界 | wényìjiè | |
| 边界 | biānjiè | boundary; border |
| 世代 | shìdài | for many generations; generation |
| 界限 | jièxiàn | boundary |
| 境界 | jìngjiè | boundary; state |
| 自然界 | zìránjiè | nature; the natural world |
| 界线 | jièxiàn | limits; bounds |
Questions about 世界
What does 世界 mean?
世界 (shìjiè) means "world" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 世界?
世界 is made of 2 characters: 世 (5 strokes), 界 (9 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 世界 an HSK word?
Yes. 世界 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 世界 and 地球?
地球 (dìqiú) means the planet Earth as a physical object. 世界 means the world in a human sense, including countries, people and societies, and can also mean a realm, like 我的世界 (my world).
How do I say 'in the world' or 'the best in the world' in Chinese?
Use 世界上 (shìjiè shang) for 'in the world', as in 世界上最高的山 (the highest mountain in the world). For 'world-famous' or 'world-class', you can put 世界 before a noun, as in 世界级 (shìjièjí) world-class.