Japanese word

世紀

Pronunciation

Romajiseiki

Meaning

  • nouncentury

Example

今は二十一世紀です。ima wa ni jū ichi sei ki de su

We are in the twenty-first century now.

Illustration for 世紀 (century)

More examples

前の世紀の写真を図書館で見ました。mae no sei ki no sha shin o to sho kan de mi ma shi ta

I saw photos from the previous century at the library.

Core concept

Marks a span of one hundred years as a unit for describing historical time.

Common phrases

  • 21世紀21 sei ki

    the twenty-first century

  • 世紀の初めsei ki no haji me

    the beginning of the century

  • 世紀の終わりsei ki no o wa ri

    the end of the century

Definition in Japanese

百年を一つの単位として区切った期間。hyaku nen o hito tsu no tan i to shi te ku gi tta ki kan

Word origin

世 (sei, "world" or "age") combines with 紀 (ki, "record" or "era") to form a Sino-Japanese term for a hundred-year historical period.

Usage tips

  • The twenty-first century began in 2001, not 2000, because the first century ran from year 1 through year 100.

Word lists with this word