Definition

1. Noun:
   • This world, the mortal world, the earthly realm: Refers to the world of human beings, the physical world inhabited by living people, as opposed to the heavens or the afterlife. It often carries a philosophical or religious connotation, contrasting the temporal, material world with a higher, spiritual one.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Con người sống ở hạ giới thường mắc phải nhiều sai lầm. (Humans living in this world often make many mistakes.)
  • Theo thần thoại, các vị thần đôi khi giáng trần xuống hạ giới. (According to mythology, gods sometimes descend to the earthly realm.)
  • Anh ấy cảm thấy những lo toan của hạ giới thật phiền phức. (He finds the worries of the mortal world to be troublesome.)

Advanced Usage

• Literary/Philosophical Context: Used in literature, poetry, and religious texts to denote the human condition, impermanence, and the physical plane of existence.
  • Thơ ca của ông thường nói về tình yêu và nỗi buồn ở cõi hạ giới. (His poetry often speaks of love and sorrow in this earthly realm.)

Variants and Related Words

• Trần gian (n): A near-synonym meaning "the mortal world" or "this earthly life." It is very similar in usage and connotation.
• Cõi tạm (n): Literally "temporary realm," emphasizing the transient nature of life on Earth.
• Dương gian (n): Another term for the world of the living, often used in folk tales and contrast with the spirit world (âm phủ).

Synonyms

• Thế gian: The world, the secular world.
• Nhân gian: The human world, among people.
• Cõi đời: This life, the world.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Hạ giới phàm trần: Emphasizes the mundane, dusty, and ordinary aspects of earthly life.
  • Sau khi đắc đạo, ngài đã rời bỏ mọi chuyện hạ giới phàm trần. (After attaining enlightenment, he left behind all matters of this dusty mortal world.)
• Xuống hạ giới / Giáng trần: To descend to the earthly world (often used for deities, angels, or important figures).
  • Truyền thuyết kể rằng vị thần đã xuống hạ giới để giúp đỡ dân làng. (The legend says the god descended to the mortal world to help the villagers.)

1. This world