界: the kanji for world and boundary
界 is a JLPT N4 kanji that means world, boundary. Below are its readings, 8 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
界 is written in 9 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
界 has 1 reading in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 8 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
カイ (kai)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 世界せかい · sekai | world |
| 業界ぎょうかい · gyōkai | industry |
| 限界げんかい · genkai | limit |
| 境界きょうかい · kyōkai | boundary |
| 政界せいかい · seikai | political world |
| 経済界けいざいかい · keizaikai | business community |
| 視界しかい · shikai | field of vision |
| 自然界しぜんかい · shizenkai | the natural world |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- 世界中からお客様が来ます。Sekaijū kara okyakusama ga kimasu.Customers come from all over the world.
- IT業界で十年働いています。Aitī gyōkai de jūnen hataraite imasu.I've worked in the IT industry for ten years.
- もう限界です。少し休みます。Mō genkai desu. Sukoshi yasumimasu.I've reached my limit. I'll take a short break.
- 霧で視界が悪いです。Kiri de shikai ga warui desu.Visibility is poor because of the fog.
- 業界の動きを毎朝チェックしています。Gyōkai no ugoki o maiasa chekku shite imasu.I check industry news every morning.
- この会社は世界で有名です。Kono kaisha wa sekai de yūmei desu.This company is famous around the world.
Questions about 界
How many strokes does 界 have?
界 is written in 9 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 界?
The on readings are kai (カイ). 界 has no kun reading in the Jōyō Kanji Table.
How do you say "all over the world" in Japanese?
Add 中 (jū) to 世界: 世界中 (sekaijū) means all over the world. The same pattern gives 日本中 (Nihonjū, all over Japan) and 一日中 (ichinichijū, all day long).
What JLPT level is 界?
N4. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N4 is designed to match the former Level 3.
More JLPT N4 kanji
Places and buildings
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 界
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.