345.世


1. Meaning and Reading

  • world, generation, society
  • Onyomi : せい,
  • Kunyomi :

2. Kanji Explanation

A character modeled after the shape of leaves, because new shoots grow each year, it came to mean 'generation' or 'lifetime', and later its meaning expanded to represent 'the world' and 'century'.

世 kanji meaning and mnemonic illustration

3. Example Words

世界 せかい
world

I want to travel the world.

世紀 せいき
century

The 21st century is an age of technology.

世の中 よのなか
society, the world

There are various kinds of people in the world.

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