世shì

世

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Simplified · Today

简体

Simplified Chinese

Modern simplified form (簡體). 世 (shì, "world, generation") remains unchanged from its traditional form — a character whose three horizontal strokes evolved from 卅 (thirty), originally representing the span of a generation. It appears as a component in 葉 (leaf), 泄 (drain), 蝶 (butterfly) and 碟 (plate), always carrying that sense of continuity across time.

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Shuowen

世. The pictograph of a leaf with three pointed lobes spreading from a central stem, representing the cyclical nature of life—leaves budding, falling, and returning as new growth. This image of continuous renewal became associated with the passing of generations and one's lifetime, later extended to mean the world or age. The form captures in a single stroke the brief yet connected span of human existence, as transient as the leaf yet as endlessly recurring as the seasons.

Pinyin

shì· HSK 2

世shì

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin