세계
Korean
Etymology
Sino-Korean word from 世界 (“world”).
Pronunciation
- (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [ˈsʰe̞(ː)ɡje̞] ~ [ˈsʰe̞(ː)ɡe̞]
(file)
- Phonetic hangul: [세(ː)계/세(ː)게]
- Though still prescriptive in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
| Romanizations | |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization? | segye |
| Revised Romanization (translit.)? | segye |
| McCune–Reischauer? | segye |
| Yale Romanization? | sēykyey |
- South Gyeongsang (Busan) pitch accent: 세계의 / 세계에 / 세계까지
Syllables in red take high pitch. This word always takes high pitch only on the second syllable, and also heightens the subsequent suffixed syllable.
Noun
세계 • (segye) (hanja 世界)
- the world, the Earth
- 세계에서 제일 큰 나무 ― segyeeseo jeil keun namu ― the biggest tree in the world
- (tarot) The World (Tarot card)
Usage notes
세상(世上) (sesang) is "world" in the figurative sense of that word, while 세계(世界) (segye) is "world" in the more literal sense of the Earth.
Derived terms
- 세계관(世界觀) (segyegwan, “worldview”)
Further reading
- 세계 in dictionaries at daum.net