Etymology

Earliest attestations are in the Book of Documents, Classic of Poetry and bronze inscriptions such as that on the Western Zhou vessel Bin Gong Xu (豳公盨):

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

Noun

天下Category:Chinese lemmas#大01一02Category:Chinese nouns#大01一02Category:Chinese entries with incorrect language header#大01一02Category:Pages with entries#天下Category:Pages with 4 entries#天下

1. (literaryCategory:Chinese literary terms#大01一02, figurative) the world; everything under the sky; all under heaven

   • 天下莫大於秋豪之末，而大山為小；莫壽於殤子，而彭祖為夭。天地與我並存，而萬物與我為一。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     天下莫大于秋豪之末，而大山为小；莫寿于殇子，而彭祖为夭。天地与我并存，而万物与我为一。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 369 B.C.E. – 286 B.C.E., 莊子Category:Chinese links with redundant wikilinks#天下Category:Chinese links with redundant alt parameters#天下 (Zhuangzi), 齊物論Category:Chinese links with redundant wikilinks#天下 (The Identity of Contraries)

     Tiānxià mò dàyú qiūháo zhī mò, ér dàshān wéi xiǎo; mò shòu yú 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.

     Category:Classical Chinese terms with quotations

   • 奴才替天下百姓感激皇太后恩典！ [MSC, trad. and simp.]

     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!

     Category:Mandarin terms with quotations

   • 從右脅出，墮地行七步，無人扶侍；遍觀四方，舉手而言：「天上天下唯我為尊。要度眾生生老病死。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     从右胁出，堕地行七步，无人扶侍；遍观四方，举手而言：「天上天下唯我为尊。要度众生生老病死。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Dirgha Agama, translated by Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian circa 5^th 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.’

     Category:Classical Chinese terms with quotations

   • 菩薩生已，不扶而行於四方各七步，而自言曰：「天上天下，唯吾獨尊。今茲而往，生分已盡。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     菩萨生已，不扶而行于四方各七步，而自言曰：「天上天下，唯吾独尊。今兹而往，生分已尽。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     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.’

     Category:Classical Chinese terms with quotations
2. (literaryCategory:Chinese literary terms#大01一02, lofty) China; the Chinese nation

   統一天下／统一天下  ―  tǒngyī tiānxià  ―  to unify China (literally, “to unify all under heaven”)Category:Mandarin terms with usage examples

   格物、致知、誠意、正心、修身、齊家、治國、平天下。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
   格物、致知、诚意、正心、修身、齐家、治国、平天下。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

   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.

   Category:Classical Chinese terms with usage examples

   • 及至始皇，奮六世之餘烈，振長策而御宇內，吞二周而亡諸侯，履至尊而制六合，執棰拊以鞭笞天下，威振四海。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     及至始皇，奋六世之余烈，振长策而御宇内，吞二周而亡诸侯，履至尊而制六合，执棰拊以鞭笞天下，威振四海。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     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]

     At the time of Qin Shihuang, he bolstered the cumulative strength of his six predecessors, cracked his military whip and commanded his realm, annexed the two Zhou's and annihilated other feudal kingdoms, ascended the supreme throne and ruled the universe, held the stick to flog the nation. His formidable reputation spread across the four seas.

     Category:Classical Chinese terms with quotations

   • 今天下三分，益州疲弊，此誠危急存亡之秋也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     今天下三分，益州疲弊，此诚危急存亡之秋也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 227, 諸葛亮Category:Chinese links with redundant wikilinks#天下Category:Chinese links with redundant alt parameters#天下 (Zhuge Liang), 出師表Category:Chinese links with redundant wikilinks#天下Category:Chinese links with redundant alt parameters#天下

     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.

     Category:Classical Chinese terms with quotations
3. (archaicCategory:Chinese terms with archaic senses#大01一02) society

   天下大亂／天下大乱  ―  tiānxiàdàluàn  ―  unrest society, society in turmoilCategory:Mandarin terms with usage examples

4. (literaryCategory:Chinese literary terms#大01一02, figurative) state power; domination

Etymology 1

From Middle ChineseCategory:Japanese terms borrowed from Middle Chinese#てんかCategory:Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys#てんかCategory:Japanese terms derived from Middle Chinese#てんか 天下 (MC then haeX, “heaven + under”). The kan'on, so likely a later borrowing.^[1]

Etymology 2

From Middle ChineseCategory:Japanese terms borrowed from Middle Chinese#てんかCategory:Japanese terms with redundant sortkeys#てんかCategory:Japanese terms derived from Middle Chinese#てんか 天下 (MC then haeX, “heaven + under”). The go'on, so likely the earlier borrowing.^[1]

Appears with this reading in the Kagerō Nikki, dating to roughly 974 CE.^[2] Superseded in modern Japanese by tenka above.

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

• “天下”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎ (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2026

Noun

天下 • (cheonha) (hangeul 천하)Category:Korean lemmas#천하Category:Korean terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys#천하Category:Korean nouns#천하Category:Korean nouns in Han script#천하Category:Korean terms with redundant script codes#천하Category:Korean entries with incorrect language header#천하Category:Pages with entries#天下Category:Pages with 4 entries#天下

1. hanja form^? of 천하 (“world, earth; China”)Category:Korean hanja forms#天下

Noun

天下Category:Vietnamese lemmas#大01一02Category:Vietnamese nouns#大01一02Category:Vietnamese entries with incorrect language header#大01一02Category:Pages with entries#天下Category:Pages with 4 entries#天下Category:Vietnamese nouns in Han script#大01一02

1. chữ Hán form of thiên hạ (“world”)Category:Vietnamese Chữ Hán