境

音読おんよみ: キョウ・ケイ

訓読くんよみ: さかい

画数かくすう: 14 strokes

部首ぶしゅ: 土(つちへん)

Meaning

Boundary — the dividing line or area between two places; region or limit.


  • 国境こっきょう — national border
  • 境界きょうかい — boundary line
  • 県境けんざかい — prefectural boundary
  • 心理的境界しんりてききょうかい — mental boundary
  • 境遇きょうぐう — circumstances
  • 境地きょうち — mental state

The left part is 土 (earth), while the right is 音符 (phonetic part) representing "キョウ / ケイ". The full character expresses a place or line that marks a division — between countries, regions, or concepts.

ふたつの くにさかいかわながれている。
A river flows along the border between the two countries.

現実げんじつゆめさかい曖昧あいまいになる。
The line between dreams and reality becomes blurred.

Usually read as “キョウ” or “ケイ” in compound words (like 境界 or 境地), and as “さかい” in standalone or contextual use. The reading shifts based on whether it’s physical (like a border) or abstract (like a state of mind).

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