What is the difference between "凌ぐ" and "娑婆"?

Q: What is the difference between "凌ぐ" and "娑婆"?

"凌ぐ" represents "to endure, to brave, to get over, to tide over; to surpass, to outdo" (Level: N1), while "娑婆" represents "Saha world (Sanskrit); the mundane world of endurance and suffering in Buddhist cosmology, where beings must endure the cycle of birth and death." (Level: C2PLUS). They belong to the synonym comparative set.

synonym Comparative

凌ぐ

娑婆

Differences Between "凌ぐ" and "娑婆"

Option A

凌ぐ

Meaning

to endure, to brave, to get over, to tide over; to surpass, to outdo

Reading

しのぐ (shinogu)

Syllabus Level

Practical Example

なんとか困難な時期を凌いで、事業を継続できた。

We somehow managed to get over the difficult period and continue the business.

Option B

娑婆

Meaning

Saha world (Sanskrit); the mundane world of endurance and suffering in Buddhist cosmology, where beings must endure the cycle of birth and death.

Reading

しゃば

Syllabus Level

C2PLUS

Practical Example

私は娑婆に興味があります。

I am interested in Saha world (Sanskrit); the mundane world of endurance and suffering in Buddhist cosmology, where beings must endure the cycle of birth and death..

Which one to use?

Select the correct Japanese word for this context

Which word fits this context: "(to endure, to brave, to get over, to tide over; to surpass, to outdo)"?

🎉 正解 / Correct!

使い分け解説:
- 凌ぐ: Can mean 'to bear/endure' a difficult situation (e.g., 寒さを凌ぐ - to brave the cold) or 'to surpass/outdo' someone/something (e.g., 前作を凌ぐ - to surpass the previous work). Often implies overcoming something challenging.
- 娑婆: Essential structural term in CEFR C2PLUS vocabulary syllabus. (CEFR C2PLUS語彙シラバスにおける重要表現です。)

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