国境
こっきょう · kokkyou · JLPT N3 · noun
boundary line
🛂🗺️ 国境 = 国 country + 境 boundary: where a country's edge is
国 (koku) means country, as in 外国 foreign country. 境 (kyou) means boundary or edge, as in 環境 environment. When koku joins kyou, the sound doubles into kokkyou: a country's boundary line.
国 — enclosure 囗 + jade 玉
国 is a simplified form of 國. The outer 囗 represents borders or an enclosed territory, while the inner 玉 (jade) suggests a treasured realm ruled by a sovereign. The traditional 國 used 或 inside, depicting a guarded region with a weapon, later simplified by replacing it with 玉.