境 (jìng) - Boundary, border & territory

境Tone 4

jìng ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

傑君

境 · jìng

Boundary, border;

territory;

situation, condition;

state, realm.

Boundary, borderterritorysituation, condition

Usage highlights

Border areaEnvironmentSituationBoundaryRealm/stateDifficult situation

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 中心— center, core (opposite of boundary)
  • 内部— interior, inside

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The border between two countries (国境).
  • We need to improve the learning environment (学习环境).
  • This is a difficult situation (困境).
  • He has entered a new realm of understanding (境界).

Collocations

  • Border area(边境)
  • Environment(环境)
  • Situation(处境)
  • Boundary(界线)
  • Realm/state(境界)
  • Difficult situation(困境)

Idioms

  • Be in a sorry plight(处境困难)
  • Boundless world(无边境界)
  • Dreamlike illusion(梦境幻境)
  • Change one's circumstances(改变处境)
  • Border dispute(边境争端)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Buddhism, 境 refers to the realm or state of consciousness and perception.
  • The character combines 土 (earth/land) with 竟 (end/boundary), literally meaning 'land boundary'.
  • Used in philosophical contexts to describe states of mind or spiritual realms.

FAQ