The kanji 際 generally conveys the idea of a "time," "occasion," "situation," "edge," or "boundary." It often implies a specific point in time or a context where something occurs or is observed. It can refer to the moment something happens, the circumstances surrounding it, or even the limits or edges of something.

・On-yomi (音読み): サイ (sai) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): きわ (kiwa)

⚫︎ 国際際 (kokusai) Translation: International; international relations. ⚫︎ 実際の際 (jissai no sai) Translation: At the time; when; the actual time. ⚫︎ この際は (kono sai wa) Translation: At this time; in this case.

The kanji 際 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is a radical called 阝 (こざとへん - kozatohen), which relates to "place" or "slope." The right side is 祭 (matsuri), meaning "festival" or "ceremony." Originally, the character depicted a place where ceremonies were held, suggesting a specific time and location. The concept then expanded to include the idea of an edge or boundary, as the ceremony would be held at a specific place. Over time, it came to represent "time," "occasion," and "circumstance."