# 天下
## Chinese

* 天下 (Written Standard Chinese)
* 天下 (Cantonese)
* 天下 (Classical)
* thian-hā (Southern Min)
* Tianxia (English)

### Etymology

Earliest attestations are in the Book of Documents and Classic of Poetry (as「天之下」then「天下」).
Pines (2002) thinks it "likely that "originally tianxia referred to the area under the direct rule of the Son of Heaven [a.k.a. the Zhou king], and its limits might have shrunk together with the contraction of royal power". See there for more on the term's gradual semantic evolution through the Spring and Autumn period, Warring States period, until after Qin's wars of unification.

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): tiānxià
       (Zhuyin): ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ
    (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): тянщя (ti͡anxi͡a, I-III)
* Cantonese (Jyutping): tin$^1$ haa$^6$
* Hakka (Sixian, PFS): thiên-ha
* Eastern Min (BUC): tiĕng-hâ
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): thian-hā / thian-hǎ / thian-hēe / thiⁿ-ē / thiⁿ-ě / thiⁿ-ēe / thiⁿ-hā
    (Teochew, Peng'im): tin$^1$ ê$^6$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^1$thi-gho
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: tiānxià
*** Zhuyin: ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: tiansià
*** Wade–Giles: tʻien$^1$-hsia$^4$
*** Yale: tyān-syà
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tianshiah
*** Palladius: тянься (tjanʹsja)
*** Sinological IPA : /tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹/
** (Dungan)
*** Cyrillic and Wiktionary: тянщя (ti͡anxi͡a, I-III)
*** Sinological IPA : /tʰiæ̃²⁴ ɕia⁴⁴/
    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: tin$^1$ haa$^6$
*** Yale: tīn hah
*** Cantonese Pinyin: tin$^1$ haa$^6$
*** Guangdong Romanization: tin$^1$ ha$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²²/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thiên-ha
*** Hakka Romanization System: tien$^ˊ$ ha
*** Hagfa Pinyim: tian$^1$ ha$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /tʰi̯en²⁴⁻¹¹ ha⁵⁵/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: tiĕng-hâ
*** Sinological IPA : /tʰieŋ⁵⁵⁻⁵³ $^{(h-)}$ŋɑ²⁴²/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thian-hā
*** Tâi-lô: thian-hā
*** Phofsit Daibuun: tienha
*** IPA (Xiamen): /tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² ha²²/
*** IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ ha³³/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thian-hǎ
*** Tâi-lô: thian-hǎ
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /tʰiɛn³³ ha²²/
** (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thian-hēe
*** Tâi-lô: thian-hēe
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² hɛ²²/
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiⁿ-ē
*** Tâi-lô: thinn-ē
*** Phofsit Daibuun: tvi'e
*** IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tʰĩ⁴⁴⁻³³ e³³/
*** IPA (Xiamen): /tʰĩ⁴⁴⁻²² e²²/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiⁿ-ě
*** Tâi-lô: thinn-ě
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /tʰĩ³³ e²²/
** (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiⁿ-ēe
*** Tâi-lô: thinn-ēe
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /tʰĩ⁴⁴⁻²² ɛ²²/
** (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: thiⁿ-hā
*** Tâi-lô: thinn-hā
*** Phofsit Daibuun: tvi'ha
*** IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /tʰĩ⁴⁴⁻³³ ha³³/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: tin$^1$ ê$^6$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: thiⁿ ĕ
*** Sinological IPA : /tʰĩ³³⁻²³ e³⁵/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^1$thi-gho
*** MiniDict: thi$^平$ gho
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^1$thi-hho
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /tʰi⁵⁵ ɦo²¹/
* Middle Chinese: then haeX
Rime :
| Character | 天 | 下 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 1/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 透 (6) | 匣 (33) |
| Final (韻) | 先 (85) | 麻 (98) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) | Rising (X) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | IV | II |
| Fanqie | 他前切 | 胡雅切 |
| Baxter | then | haeX |
| Reconstructions |||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /tʰen/ | /ɦˠa$^X$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /tʰen/ | /ɦᵚa$^X$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /tʰɛn/ | /ɣa$^X$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /tʰɛn/ | /ɦaɨ$^X$/ |
| Li Rong | /tʰen/ | /ɣa$^X$/ |
| Wang Li | /tʰien/ | /ɣa$^X$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /tʰien/ | /ɣa$^X$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | tiān | xià |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | tin$^1$ | haa$^6$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*l̥ˤi[n]|l̥ˤi[n] ɡˤraʔ/
    (Zhengzhang): /*qʰl'iːn ɡraːʔ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 天 | 天 | 下 |
| Reading # | 1/2 | 2/2 | 1/2 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | tiān | xiān | xià |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ then › | ‹ xen › | ‹ hæ$^X$ › |
| Old Chinese | /*l̥ˁi[n]/ | /*l̥ˁi[n]/ (W dialect: l̥ˁ- > Hàn-time *xˁ- > MC x-) | /*ɡˁraʔ/ |
| English | heaven | heaven | down |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 天 | 下 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 1/2 |
| No. | 12387 | 13445 |
| Phonetic component | 天 | 下 |
| Rime group | 眞 | 魚 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 天 | 下 |
| Old Chinese | /*qʰl'iːn/ | /*ɡraːʔ/ |

### Noun

天下
* (literary, figurative) the world; everything under the sky; all under heaven
    From: c. 369 B.C.E. – 286 B.C.E., 莊子 (Zhuangzi), 齊物論 (The Identity of Contraries)
    Tiānxià mò dàyú qiūháo zhī mò, ér dàshān wéi xiǎo; mò shòuyú shāngzǐ, ér Péngzǔ wéi yāo. Tiāndì yǔ wǒ bìngcún, ér wànwù yǔ wǒ wèi yī. [Pinyin]
    There is nothing under the canopy of heaven greater than the tip of an autumn spikelet. A vast mountain is a small thing. Neither is there any age greater than that of a child cut off in infancy. P'êng Tsu himself died young. The universe and I came into being together; and I, and everything therein, are One.
    From: The Firmament of the Pleiades
    Núcái tì tiānxià bǎixìng gǎnjī huángtàihòu ēndiǎn! [Pinyin]
    I, on behalf of the people throughout the world, [hereby] express my gratitude for the kindness of the empress dowager!
    From: The Dirgha Agama, translated by Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian circa 5th century CE
    Cóng yòu xié chū, duò dì xíng qī bù, wúrén fúshì; biànguān sìfāng, jǔ shǒu ér yán: “Tiānshàng tiānxià wéi wǒ wèi zūn. Yào dù zhòngshēng shēnglǎobìngsǐ.” [Pinyin]
    Having come out of [his mother's] right side, he went down onto the earth and walked, helped by none, seven steps; he looked around in four directions, lifted up his hand, and said: ‘In the heavens above and below the heavens, I alone am exalted. I will save all living beings from birth, aging, sickness, and death.’
    From: Xuanzang, Great Tang Records on the Western Regions, 646 CE, translated based on Samuel Beal's version
    Púsà shēng yǐ, bù fú ér xíng yú sìfāng gè qī bù, ér zì yán yuē: “Tiānshàng tiānxià, wéi wú dúzūn. Jīnzī ér wǎng, shēngfèn yǐ jìn.” [Pinyin]
    After he had been born the Bodhisattva walked seven steps unaided to each of the four quarters and announced, ‘In the heavens above and below the heavens, I am the sole Honored One! From now on I shall have no more rebirth.’
* (literary, lofty) China; the Chinese nation
    統一天下／统一天下 ― tǒngyī tiānxià ― to unify China (literally, “to unify all under heaven”)
       Géwù, zhìzhī, chéngyì, zhèngxīn, xiūshēn, qíjiā, zhìguó, píngtiānxià. [Pinyin]
       Investigate the nature of things, pursue knowledge, act in good faith, rectify one's mind, cultivate one's moral character, manage one's household, administer state affairs and bring peace to the nation.
    From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
    Jí zhì Shǐhuáng, fèn liù shì zhī yúliè, zhèn chángcè ér yù yǔnèi, tūn èr zhōu ér wáng zhūhóu, lǚ zhìzūn ér zhì liùhé, zhí chuífǔ yǐ biānchī tiānxià, wēizhèn sìhǎi. [Pinyin]
    (please add an English translation of this usage example)
    From: 227, 諸葛亮 (Zhuge Liang), 出師表
    Jīn tiānxià sānfēn, Yìzhōu píbì, cǐ chéng wēijí cúnwáng zhī qiū yě. [Pinyin]
    Today, China is divided into three parts, and the Kingdom of Han is weak and fatigued. This is truly a critical moment determining our survival.
* (archaic) society
    天下大亂／天下大乱 ― tiānxiàdàluàn ― unrest society, society in turmoil
* (literary, figurative) state power; domination

#### Synonyms

* (the world):
* 世 (shì) (literary, or in compounds)
* 世界 (shìjiè)
* 區宇／区宇 (qūyǔ) (literary, figurative)
* 四國／四国 (sìguó) (literary)
* 四海 (sìhǎi) (literary, figurative)
* 域中 (yùzhōng) (literary)
* 天跤下 (Hokkien, figurative)
* 宇內／宇内 (yǔnèi) (literary, figurative)
* 薄海 (bóhǎi) (literary, figurative)
* (China):
* 中 (abbreviation)
* 中共國／中共国 (zhōnggòngguó) (derogatory)
* 中原 (Zhōngyuán)
* 中國／中国 (Zhōngguó)
* 中華／中华 (Zhōnghuá)
* 九州 (Jiǔzhōu) (literary)
* 唐山 (Tángshān)
* 域中 (yùzhōng) (literary, figurative)
* 天朝 (Tiāncháo) (historical or Internet slang)
* 契弟 (qìdì) (Internet slang, derogatory)
* 德祐 (Déyòu) (Myanmar)
* 支那 (Zhīnà) (obsolete, now usually derogatory or offensive)
* 桃花石 (Táohuāshí) (obsolete)
* 牆國／墙国 (qiángguó) (Taiwan, derogatory, sarcastic)
* 猜拿 (Cāiná) (transliteration of English China)
* 神州 (Shénzhōu) (literary)
* 種花家／种花家 (Zhònghuājiā) (slang, humorous)
* 脂那 (Zhīnà) (obsolete)
* 至那 (Zhìnà) (obsolete)
* 華／华 (abbreviation)
* 華夏／华夏 (Huáxià)
* 諸夏／诸夏 (Zhūxià)
* 諸華／诸华 (Zhūhuá)
* 貴支／贵支 (guìzhī) (Mainland China, Internet slang, neologism, derogatory, sarcastic, offensive)
* 贏國／赢国 (Hong Kong, humorous, derogatory, sarcastic)
* 赤縣／赤县 (Chìxiàn) (literary)
* 赤縣神州／赤县神州 (Chìxiàn Shénzhōu) (literary)
* 震旦 (Zhèndàn) (archaic)

#### Derived terms

* 一匡天下 (yīkuāngtiānxià)
* 一手難掩天下人耳目／一手难掩天下人耳目
* 一統天下／一统天下 (yītǒng tiānxià)
* 一齊天下／一齐天下
* 先天下之憂而憂／先天下之忧而忧
* 兼善天下
* 冒天下之大不韙／冒天下之大不韪 (mào tiānxià zhī dàbùwěi)
* 包打天下 (bāodǎtiānxià)
* 半部論語治天下／半部论语治天下
* 名傳天下／名传天下
* 名滿天下／名满天下
* 名聞天下／名闻天下
* 名高天下
* 周郎妙計高天下，賠了夫人又折兵／周郎妙计高天下，赔了夫人又折兵
* 唯恐天下不亂／唯恐天下不乱 (wéi kǒng tiānxià bù luàn)
* 坐天下
* 大赦天下
* 天下一家
* 天下一統／天下一统 (tiānxià yītǒng)
* 天下不如意事，十常八九
* 天下九塞 (Tiānxià Jiǔ Sài)
* 天下事
* 天下人
* 天下多故
* 天下大亂／天下大乱 (tiānxiàdàluàn)
* 天下大勢／天下大势
* 天下大勢分久必合，合久必分／天下大势分久必合，合久必分
* 天下太平 (tiānxiàtàipíng)
* 天下安，注意相；天下危，注意將
* 天下官管天下民
* 天下從風／天下从风
* 天下文宗
* 天下本無事，庸人自擾之／天下本无事，庸人自扰之 (tiānxià běn wúshì, yōngrén zì rǎo zhī)
* 天下歸心／天下归心 (tiānxiàguīxīn)
* 天下沒有不散的宴席／天下没有不散的宴席 (tiānxià méiyǒu bùsàn de yànxí)
* 天下沒有不散的筵席／天下没有不散的筵席 (tiānxià méiyǒu bù sàn de yánxí)
* 天下沒有白吃的午餐／天下没有白吃的午餐 (tiānxià méiyǒu báichī de wǔcān)
* 天下洶洶／天下汹汹
* 天下為一／天下为一
* 天下為公／天下为公 (tiānxiàwéigōng)
* 天下為家／天下为家
* 天下烏鴉一般黑／天下乌鸦一般黑 (tiānxià wūyā yībān hēi)
* 天下無不散的筵席／天下无不散的筵席 (tiānxià wú bù sàn de yánxí)
* 天下無不是的父母／天下无不是的父母
* 天下無敵／天下无敌 (tiānxiàwúdí)
* 天下無雙／天下无双 (tiānxiàwúshuāng)
* 天下無難事／天下无难事
* 天下無難事，只怕有心人／天下无难事，只怕有心人 (tiānxià wú nánshì, zhǐpà yǒuxīnrén)
* 天下父母心 (tiānxià fùmǔ xīn)
* 天下第一 (tiānxiàdìyī)
* 天下老鴰一般黑／天下老鸹一般黑
* 天下興亡，匹夫有責／天下兴亡，匹夫有责 (tiānxià xīngwáng, pǐfū yǒuzé)
* 天下蒼生／天下苍生
* 天下鼎沸
* 威振天下
* 威震天下
* 定天下
* 家天下
* 富甲天下 (fùjiǎ tiānxià)
* 寧教我負天下人，休教天下人負我／宁教我负天下人，休教天下人负我 (nìngjiào wǒ fù tiānxià rén, xiū jiào tiānxià rén fù wǒ)
* 席卷天下
* 平天下 (píngtiānxià)
* 手援天下
* 打天下
* 掃除天下／扫除天下
* 播名天下
* 放眼天下
* 普天下 (pǔtiānxià)
* 有理走遍天下 (yǒulǐ zǒu biàn tiānxià)
* 有理走遍天下，無理寸步難行／有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行 (yǒulǐ zǒu biàn tiānxià, wúlǐ cùnbùnánxíng)
* 桃李滿天下／桃李满天下 (táolǐ mǎn tiānxià)
* 桃李遍天下
* 橫行天下／横行天下
* 權傾天下／权倾天下
* 母儀天下／母仪天下
* 河水清，天下平
* 浪跡天下／浪迹天下
* 湖廣熟，天下足／湖广熟，天下足 (Húguǎng shú, tiānxià zú)
* 滑天下之大稽 (huá tiānxià zhī dàjī)
* 澄清天下
* 犯天下之不韙／犯天下之不韪
* 獨步天下／独步天下 (dúbùtiānxià)
* 王天下
* 甲天下
* 登泰山而小天下 (dēng Tàishān ér xiǎo tiānxià)
* 百日天下
* 相交滿天下，知心能幾人／相交满天下，知心能几人
* 秀才不出門，能知天下事／秀才不出门，能知天下事 (xiùcái bù chūmén, néng zhī tiānxià shì)
* 經緯天下／经纬天下
* 縱橫天下／纵横天下
* 聞名天下／闻名天下 (wénmíngtiānxià)
* 言語妙天下／言语妙天下
* 譽塞天下／誉塞天下
* 譽滿天下／誉满天下
* 貌雖瘦而天下肥／貌虽瘦而天下肥
* 走遍天下 (zǒubiàntiānxià)
* 轍環天下／辙环天下
* 道濟天下／道济天下
* 闖天下／闯天下
* 鞭笞天下

#### Descendants

* → Japanese: 天(てん)下(か) (tenka)
* → Korean: 천하(天下) (cheonha)
* → Vietnamese: thiên hạ (天下)
Others:
* → Manchu: ᠠᠪᡴᠠᡳ ᡶᡝᠵᡝᡵᡤᡳ (abkai fejergi) (calque)
* → Russian: Поднебе́сная (Podnebésnaja) (calque)

## Japanese
### Etymology 1

Kanji in this term :
| 天 | 下 |
| てん Grade: 1 | か Grade: 1 |
| on'yomi | kan'on |
From Middle Chinese 天下 (MC then haeX, “heaven + under”). The kan'on, so likely a later borrowing.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) てんか [téꜜǹkà] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [tẽ̞ŋka̠]

#### Noun

天(てん)下(か) • (tenka)
* the whole world, the earth
* the whole country, all of Japan
* the government of Japan
* power, control over the government
* (historical, Edo period) the shogun
* (card games) in traditional Japanese card games, one of the strong cards known as 蠣 (aza)
* short for 天下一 (tenka ichi): the best in the world (often used attributively with the particle の (no))
    天(てん)下(か)の横(よこ)綱(づな)
       tenka no yokozuna
       the best yokozuna in the world

### Etymology 2

Kanji in this term :
| 天 | 下 |
| てん Grade: 1 | げ Grade: 1 |
| on'yomi | goon |
From Middle Chinese 天下 (MC then haeX, “heaven + under”). The go'on, so likely the earlier borrowing.
Appears with this reading in the Kagerō Nikki, dating to roughly 974 CE. Superseded in modern Japanese by tenka above.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [tẽ̞ŋɡe̞]

#### Noun

天(てん)下(げ) • (tenge)
* (archaic, possibly obsolete) the world, the earth

### See also

* 天(てん)上(じょう) (tenjō)
* 地(ち)上(じょう) (chijō)
* 地(ち)下(か) (chika)
* 天(あま)下(くだ)る (amakudaru)

### References

* 1 2 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* 1 2 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* ↑ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
* ↑ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

## Korean

Hanja in this term :
| 天 | 下 |

### Noun

天下 • (cheonha) (hangeul 천하)
* hanja form of 천하 (“world, earth; China”)

## Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term :
| 天 | 下 |

### Noun

天下
* chữ Hán form of thiên hạ (“world”).