界

See also: 畍

界 U+754C, 界 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-754C ← 畋 [U+754B] CJK Unified Ideographs 畍 → [U+754D]

Translingual

Stroke order

Stroke order (Japan)

Han character

界 (Kangxi radical 102, 田+4, 9 strokes, cangjie input 田人中中 (WOLL), four-corner 4612₈, composition ⿱田介(G) or ⿳田八⿰丿丨(HTJKV))

Derived characters

• 堺, 𨺬, 楐, 琾, 𤋽, 䛺, 鎅, 𠝹, 𤲂, 𰂽

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 760, character 18
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 21775
• Dae Jaweon: page 1170, character 11
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2534, character 2
• Unihan data for U+754C

Chinese

simp. and trad.		界
alternative forms		畍

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 界
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

	Old Chinese
妎	*ɡaːds, *ɡeːds
芥	*kreːds
尬	*kreːds
界	*kreːds
介	*kreːds
疥	*kreːds
玠	*kreːds
砎	*kreːds, *kreːd, *ɡraːd
魪	*kreːds
价	*kreːds
衸	*kreːds, *ɡreːds
齘	*ɡreːds
骱	*ɡaːd, *kreːd
扴	*kreːd
圿	*kreːd
忦	*kreːd

Characters in the same phonetic series (介) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *kreːds) : semantic 田 (“field”) + phonetic 介 (OC *kreːds).

Etymology

Compare perhaps Burmese ခြား (hkra:, “to keep separated”).^[1]

Pronunciation

Rime
Character	界
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	皆 (33)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	古拜切
Baxter	keajH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kˠɛiH/
Pan Wuyun	/kᵚæiH/
Shao Rongfen	/kɐiH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kəɨjH/
Li Rong	/kɛiH/
Wang Li	/kɐiH/
Bernard Karlgren	/kăiH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	jiè
Expected Cantonese Reflex	gaai3

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	界
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	jiè
Middle Chinese	‹ kɛjH ›
Old Chinese	/*kˁr[e][t]-s/
English	boundary
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	界
Reading #	1/1
No.	6524
Phonetic component	介
Rime group	祭
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	誡
Old Chinese	/*kreːds/

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jiè (jie⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄝˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gaai³
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): kie / kiai
• Eastern Min (BUC): gái
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): kài / kè / kòe

  (Teochew, Peng'im): gai³

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ⁵ka / ⁵cia / ⁵cie / ⁵kau
  • (Jinhua): ⁵ka; ⁵ciae

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiè
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄝˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiè
    • Wade–Giles: chieh⁴
    • Yale: jyè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jieh
    • Palladius: цзе (cze)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: gaai³
    • Yale: gaai
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gaai³
    • Guangdong Romanization: gai³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaːi̯³³/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kie
    • Hakka Romanization System: gie
    • Hagfa Pinyim: gie⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ki̯e⁵⁵/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kiai
    • Hakka Romanization System: giai
    • Hagfa Pinyim: giai⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /ki̯ai̯⁵⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: gái
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɑi²¹³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kài
    • Tâi-lô: kài
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kaix
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /kai²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kai⁴¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kai¹¹/
  • (Hokkien: Kaohsiung, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kè
    • Tâi-lô: kè
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kex
    • IPA (Kaohsiung, Zhangzhou): /ke²¹/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Taipei, Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kòe
    • Tâi-lô: kuè
    • Phofsit Daibuun: koex
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /kue⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /kue²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /kue¹¹/

Note:

• kài - literary;
• kè/kòe - vernacular.

• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: gai³
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kài
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai²¹³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Jiading, Songjiang, Chongming, Suzhou, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Tongxiang, Haining, Haiyan, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo)
    • Wugniu: ⁵ka
    • MiniDict: ka^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²ka
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /ka³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiading): /ka³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /kɑ³⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /kɑ³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /kɑ⁵²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /ka⁵²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /ka³³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Tongxiang): /ka³³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Haining): /ka⁴⁴⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Haiyan): /ka³⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /kɑ⁴⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /ka³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /ka⁵⁵/
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Jiading, Songjiang, Chongming, Suzhou, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Tongxiang, Shaoxing, Ningbo)
    • Wugniu: ⁵cia
    • MiniDict: cia^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ²jia
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡ɕia³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiading): /t͡ɕia³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /ciɑ³⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /t͡ɕiɑ³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /t͡ɕiɑ⁵²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /t͡ɕia⁵²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /t͡ɕia³³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Tongxiang): /t͡ɕia³³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /t͡ɕia³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /t͡ɕia⁵⁵/
  • (Northern: Haiyan, Hangzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁵cie
    • MiniDict: cie^去
    • Sinological IPA (Haiyan): /t͡ɕiɛ³⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /t͡ɕiɛ⁴⁵/
  • (Northern: Ningbo)
    • Wugniu: ⁵kau
    • MiniDict: kau^去
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /kɔ⁵⁵/
  • (Jinhua)
    • Wugniu: ⁵ka; ⁵ciae
    • Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /kɑ⁵⁵/, /t͡ɕiɛ⁵⁵/
Note:
• ⁵ka - vernacular;
• ⁵cia - literary;
• ⁵cie - main pronunciation in Hangzhounese, literary in Haiyanese;
• ⁵kau - only in 過年過界／过年过界.

---

• Middle Chinese: keajH

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*kˤr[e][t]-s/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kreːds/

Definitions

界

1. boundary

   境界  ―  jìngjiè  ―  boundary; state

   中華人民共和國省界糾紛 [MSC, trad.]
   中华人民共和国省界纠纷 [MSC, simp.]

   Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó shěngjiè jiūfēn [Pinyin]

   PRC provincial boundary dispute

2. domain; realm; zone; area
3. circle; world; industry

   音樂界／音乐界  ―  yīnyuèjiè  ―  the music world; music circles

4. (taxonomy) kingdom

Compounds

• 一世界
• 三千世界 (sānqiān shìjiè)
• 三界 (sānjiè)
• 上界 (shàngjiè)
• 下界 (xiàjiè)
• 三界公
• 不間不界／不间不界
• 世界 (shìjiè)
• 世界主義／世界主义 (shìjiè zhǔyì)
• 世界報／世界报
• 世界大同
• 世界大戰／世界大战 (shìjiè dàzhàn)
• 世界屋脊 (shìjiè wūjǐ)
• 世界性 (shìjièxìng)
• 世界末日 (shìjiè mòrì)
• 世界紀錄／世界纪录 (shìjiè jìlù)
• 世界級／世界级 (shìjièjí)
• 世界觀／世界观 (shìjièguān)
• 世界語／世界语 (shìjièyǔ)
• 世界銀行／世界银行 (Shìjiè Yínháng)
• 中千世界 (zhōng qiān shìjiè)
• 交界 (jiāojiè)
• 仙界 (xiānjiè)
• 俗界
• 傳播界／传播界
• 全世界 (quánshìjiè)
• 冥界
• 出版界
• 分界 (fēnjiè)
• 分界牌
• 劃清界線／划清界线 (huàqīngjièxiàn)
• 劃界／划界 (huàjiè)
• 十八界
• 十界
• 半間不界／半间不界
• 古生界
• 各界 (gèjiè)
• 各界人士 (gèjiè rénshì)
• 四法界
• 四界 (sìjiè)
• 回教世界
• 國界／国界 (guójiè)
• 地界 (dìjiè)
• 圻界
• 報界／报界 (bàojiè)
• 境界 (jìngjiè)
• 塵界／尘界
• 外界 (wàijiè)
• 大千世界 (dàqiānshìjiè)
• 大同世界
• 大開眼界／大开眼界 (dàkāiyǎnjiè)
• 太古界
• 天然國界／天然国界
• 天界 (tiānjiè)
• 夾界／夹界
• 娑婆世界 (Suōpó shìjiè)
• 學界／学界 (xuéjiè)
• 安樂世界／安乐世界
• 官界 (guānjiè)
• 實業界／实业界
• 射界 (shèjiè)
• 小千世界 (xiǎo qiān shìjiè)
• 小界 (Xiǎojiè)
• 廣播界／广播界
• 彩色世界
• 悲慘世界／悲惨世界
• 搭界 (dājiè)
• 撈過界／捞过界
• 政界 (zhèngjiè)
• 新世界 (xīnshìjiè)
• 新生界
• 新界 (Xīnjiè)
• 新聞界／新闻界 (xīnwénjiè)
• 棋界 (qíjiè)
• 極樂世界／极乐世界 (jílè shìjiè)
• 楚河漢界／楚河汉界 (chǔhéhànjiè)
• 業界／业界 (yèjiè)
• 欲界 (yùjiè)
• 水界
• 法界 (fǎjiè)
• 浮華世界／浮华世界
• 清平世界
• 混沌世界
• 滿世界／满世界
• 無色界／无色界 (wúsèjiè)
• 現世界／现世界
• 生物界
• 界上
• 界內球／界内球
• 界分 (jièfèn)
• 界別／界别 (jièbié)
• 界口 (jièkǒu)
• 界址 (jièzhǐ)
• 界外
• 界外球 (jièwàiqiú)
• 界定 (jièdìng)
• 界尺 (jièchǐ)
• 界方
• 界樁／界桩
• 界標／界标
• 界河 (jièhé)
• 界牌 (jièpái)
• 界畫／界画 (jièhuà)
• 界石 (jièshí)
• 界碑 (jièbēi)
• 界稻
• 界箍兒／界箍儿
• 界約／界约
• 界線／界线 (jièxiàn)
• 界說／界说 (jièshuō)
• 界限 (jièxiàn)
• 界面 (jièmiàn)
• 疆界 (jiāngjiè)
• 眼界 (yǎnjiè)
• 神界
• 視界／视界 (shìjiè)
• 租界 (zūjiè)
• 第三世界 (Dì-sān Shìjiè)
• 第二世界 (Dì-èr Shìjiè)
• 第四世界
• 經界／经界
• 縣界／县界 (xiànjiè)
• 繁華世界／繁华世界
• 義界／义界
• 胎藏界
• 臨界／临界 (línjiè)
• 臨界線／临界线
• 臨界點／临界点 (línjièdiǎn)
• 自然界 (zìránjiè)
• 自由世界 (zìyóu shìjiè)
• 色界 (sèjiè)
• 花界
• 花花世界 (huāhuāshìjiè)
• 華界／华界
• 藝術界／艺术界 (yìshùjiè)
• 越界 (yuèjiè)
• 軍界／军界
• 輿論界／舆论界 (yúlùnjiè)
• 邊界／边界 (biānjiè)
• 邊界談判／边界谈判
• 金剛界／金刚界
• 銀色世界／银色世界
• 開眼界／开眼界
• 限界 (xiànjiè)
• 靈界／灵界 (língjiè)
• 非生物界
• 音界號／音界号
• 香界
• 黑暗世界
• 齊梁世界

 

See also

• (Taxonomy) 生物分類學／生物分类学; 域 (yù, “domain”), 界 (jiè, “kingdom”), 門／门 (mén, “phylum”), 綱／纲 (gāng, “class”), 目 (mù, “order”), 科 (kē, “family”), 屬／属 (shǔ, “genus”), 種／种 (zhǒng, “species”) ^{(Category: zh:Taxonomy)}

References

1. Luce, G. H. (1981) “-A Finals (17. to Separate; Boundary; Different)”, in A Comparative Word-List of Old Burmese, Chinese and Tibetan, London: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, →ISBN, page 1

Further reading

• “界”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

See also:

Category:Japanese terms spelled with 界

界

(Third grade kyōiku kanji)

1. world
2. border

Readings

(Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this pronunciation?)

• Go-on: け (ke)
• Kan-on: かい (kai, Jōyō)
• Kun: さかい (sakai, 界)^{←さかひ (sakafi, 界, historical)}

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
界
かい Grade: 3
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 界 (MC keajH, “boundary”).

In Buddhist contexts, derived from the Middle Chinese term used as a translation of Sanskrit धातु (dhātu, “layer, stratum”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) かい [káꜜì] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
• IPA^(key): [ka̠i]

Noun

界(かい) • (kai) 

1. boundary
2. a bounded area or region
3. a bounded group of people, a society, a world as a social grouping, such as business, celebrities, or finance

   Used both as a standalone noun, and in compounds. Use in compounds is more common in this sense.

   自然(しぜん)の界(かい)、自然(しぜん)界(かい)

   shizen no kai, shizenkai

   the natural world

   美術界(びじゅつかい)

   bijutsukai

   the art world

4. the border edge of a thing
5. (Buddhism) the category of a thing
6. (Buddhism) the world or realm of a thing
7. lines drawn between the lines of a text, as on lined writing paper
8. lines drawn to lay out a draft of a piece of artwork: a sketch
9. (biology, taxonomy) a kingdom
10. (geology) a stratum corresponding to a geologic age

Coordinate terms

• (Taxonomy) 生物(せいぶつ)の分類(ぶんるい) (seibutsu no bunrui); ドメイン (domein, “domain”), 界(かい) (kai, “kingdom”), 門(もん) (mon, “phylum”), 綱(こう) (kō, “class”), 目(もく) (moku, “order”), 科(か) (ka, “family”), 属(ぞく) (zoku, “genus”), 種(しゅ) (shu, “species”) ^{(Category: ja:Taxonomy)}

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 世(せ)界(かい) (sekai): world; land, realm
• 異(い)世(せ)界(かい) (isekai): another world
• 結界(けっかい) (kekkai): a cordoned off area; a barrier
• 境界(きょうかい) (kyōkai): a boundary, a border, a limit
• 物質界(ぶっしつかい) (busshitsukai): the material world
• 精神界(せいしんかい) (seishinkai): the spiritual world

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
界
さかい Grade: 3
kun'yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 界 – see the following entry.

【境さかい】5 [noun] border, boundary, limits [proper noun] a surname

(This term, 界, is an alternative spelling (less common) of the above term.)

Usage notes

• More commonly spelled 境. Derived terms primarily use that spelling, so see that entry for more details.

References

1. “界”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 界 (MC keajH). Recorded as Middle Korean 계〯 (kyěy) (Yale: kyey) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

界

Wikisource 界 (eumhun 지경 계 (jigyeong gye))

1. hanja form^? of 계 (“boundary”)

Compounds

Compounds

• 한계 (限界, han'gye)
• 학계 (學界, hakgye)
• 외계 (外界, oegye)
• 결계 (結界, gyeolgye)
• 경계 (境界, gyeonggye)
• 마계 (魔界, magye)
• 세계 (世界, segye)
• 업계 (業界, eopgye)
• 천계 (天界, cheon'gye)
• 세계 (世界, segye, “world”)
• 신세계 (新世界, sinsegye)
• 외계인 (外界人, oegyein)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Vietnamese

Han character

界: Hán Nôm readings: giới

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.