界 (jiè): boundary; border

Meanings

1 boundary; border
2 realm; field; domain

Characters

界

jiè

boundary; field; world

Examples

HSK 2

这是两国的边界。

Zhè shì liǎng guó de biānjiè.

This is the border between the two countries.

HSK 3

他在艺术界很有名。

Tā zài yìshù jiè hěn yǒumíng.

He is quite famous in the art world.

HSK 5

全世界都知道。

Quánshìjiè dōu zhīdào.

The whole world knows.

Tips

usage

界 appears in 世界 (world), 边界 (border), 眼界 (field of vision/horizons), 业界 (industry circles), 学术界 (academic world).

Components

radical

田 tián

cultivated field

Top 田 - the indexing radical, picturing a field divided into plots by paths. Anchors 界 in the original meaning of a boundary line between fields. From the field-edge came the abstract extensions border, realm, and world (世界). Same field family: 男, 留, 番.

phonetic

介 jiè

between; intermediary

Bottom 介 supplies the sound (jiè) exactly and reinforces the meaning: 介 itself depicts a person between two armor plates, carrying the sense between. Combined with 田 above, the picture is a person standing between fields - the boundary itself. Same phonetic in 价 (price), 芥 (mustard).