What does “isekai” mean in Japanese?
Interestingly, Japanese learners know well some of the Japanese words which native speakers do not often use in daily conversations. “Isekai” is one of them. It is a noun and means a ‘different world’ in Japanese. Native speakers use it definitely less often than anime and manga fans do. In this blog post, however, I will explain it in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “isekai” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meanings of “isekai”
Let me start with the definition and meanings of “isekai”.
- isekai – 異世界 (いせかい) : a noun meaning ‘different world’ in Japanese. This can also mean ‘different plane’, ‘different timeline’, or even ‘parallel universe’ depending on the context and situation. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Native speakers use this noun normally to refer to a different world in Japanese. It’s also worth mentioning here that they sometimes use it as a metaphor for an extremely beautiful or unreal place.
The definition and meanings are not that difficult. The meanings seem to be based on the same concept, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji expression in detail.
Isekai in kanji
The kanji expression of “isekai” consists of the following two parts:
- i -異 (い) : a prefix adding the meaning of ‘different’.
- sekai – 世界 (せかい) : a noun meaning ‘world’ in Japanese.
These two parts tell us that “isekai” literally means a ‘different world’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is completely in line with the actual meanings.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “isekai” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “isekai” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “different world” in Japanese
boku wa isekai ni ki ta – 僕は異世界に来た (ぼくはいせかいにきた)
I came to a different world.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “isekai” to say where the speaker came.
- ki – 来 (き) : one conjugation of the verb, “kuru“, which means ‘to come’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “ki” to make its past tense form, “ki ta”.
This is a typical usage of “isekai”. In this example, it works as a part of the phrase, “isekai ni ki ta”, which literally means ‘to have come to a different world’ in Japanese. This Japanese phrase is often translated into English as ‘to have got isekai’d’, though. The first person who translated it probably invented the English phrase.
Example #2: another usage of “isekai”
kare wa isekai de yūsha ni nat ta – 彼は異世界で勇者になった (かれはいせかいでゆうしゃになった)
He became a hero in the parallel universe.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
- de – で : a case particle used to say where someone does something. In the example, this is used after “isekai” to say where “kare” became a hero.
- yūsha – 勇者 (ゆうしゃ) : a noun meaning ‘hero’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say what someone becomes after a change or action. In the example, this is used after “yūsha” to say what “kare” became in the parallel universe.
- nat – なっ : one conjugation of the verb, “naru”, which means ‘to become’, ‘to get’, ‘to turn’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
This is another typical usage of “isekai”. In this example, it means the ‘parallel universe’ in Japanese and refers to the place where “kare” became a hero. Seemingly, this usage is common in Japanese anime and manga.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “isekai” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- isekai – 異世界 (いせかい) : a noun meaning ‘different world’ in Japanese. This can also mean ‘different plane’, ‘different timeline’, or even ‘parallel universe’ depending on the context and situation. This can also work as plural. These three kanji characters literally mean a ‘different world’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is completely in line with the actual meanings. It’s also worth mentioning here that native speakers sometimes use this noun as a metaphor for an extremely beautiful or unreal place.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
