# Sei



## ThomasK

*Sei* (relationship) seems to be the third word after 'shin' and 'kusuri' (medicine) among the most popular words of the Japanese (word of the year). But in what meaning - and why ? 

_('Shin' is clear to me, and I guess the 'kusuri' just refers to [new] medicines)_


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## Lamb67

*新药性 I guess it is pronounced Shin-Yaku-Sei, Sei's definition: new medicine quality.*
*1: *nature (of a person);
*2: *sex;
*3: *gender; (Suffix) 
*4: *-ty (suffix indicating quality or condition); -ity; -ness


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## ThomasK

Mind you: those were meant as three different words, I think. But then there is no trace of the 'relationship' meaning, I think. How about the separate word?


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## mikun

Hi,
Most popular words in 2009,　流行語, have already been announced, 政権交代、草食男子---, but your questionable words 新、薬、性 is not listed in these site.
What is the source of your proposed popular words 新、薬、性?


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## ThomasK

This is where I got them: Japan Today ! But I am especially interested in the precise meaning of 'sei' and the reasons why is such a 'fundamental' word has (might have) become so popular, and not something like 'twittering' in Japanese... (Thanks)


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## Lamb67

性 Sei is closer to sex than to relationship. The latter sounds polite.
New,medicine,sex (or relationship for elegance).


Edit:３位は「政」,' the third place is politics.' See below, thanks.


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## ThomasK

Aha, that throws a lot of light on the subject! Would you think it has become that more important in 2009, or is there a special reason? 
What would be the word for *family relationship* then, if I may ask?


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## Ghabi

Before we become over-excited, we should be informed that the word in question is actually 政 _sei_ "politics" (see here.)


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## ThomasK

Oh, good Lord, that is Chinese, no, Japanese, to me ! So from relationship, we move to sex, and now to politics. Are we talking about the same word, 'sei' ? 

What is happening here? Phew, this is exciting ! _(Says ThomasK, who does not know any Japanese, except for some loose words, but who is interested in aspects of languages)_


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## Ghabi

There're many Japanese words (actually "bound morphemes" used to make compound words) pronouned _sei_. The one in question here is 政 "political", not 性 "gender/sex etc", according to the Japanese sources. I don't know why your source translates it as "relationship".


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## ThomasK

Interesting information. Did you check at _Japan Today_ (see #5)? They are the ones who got me going [the wrong way]... ;-)


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## mikun

Hi,
I've cheked 2009年今年の漢字ベストテン.  It is written---
１新、２薬、３政、４病---
It becomes clear that the 3rd 漢字 is 政, so the article of Japantimes ' sei ;meaning of relationship' is a fault.
新 is a hope for new 民主党government, 薬 is a drug usage problem in entertainment peoples, 政 is a japanese system change.


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## ThomasK

Thanks, Mikun. It does make it less exciting though ! ;-)


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