How to say "fate" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 運命うんめいno-adjectiveThe general word for fate or destiny, covering the ordinary sense of a power believed to determine the course of events, or one's lot in life; the default choice when no special nuance is intended.私たちは二度と彼女に会えない運命だった。↗We were never to see her again.
- 因縁いんねんnounFate conceived as a deep, karmic tie, often between people; the word has a Buddhist coloring. Use it for a fateful bond or connection rather than destiny in the abstract.
- 宿命しゅくめいnounFate as predestination: something fixed in advance and impossible to escape, often laid down by one's birth, nature, or circumstances. Choose it when you want to stress that the outcome cannot be changed.
- 命運めいうんnounFate as the fortunes of something larger than an individual — a nation, organization, or undertaking — bound up with rise and fall; less a personal destiny than the survival of a cause.
- 天命てんめいnounFate as the decree of Heaven or God, including the mandate of Heaven. It has a solemn, religious coloring, fitting when fate is framed as divine will rather than a neutral destiny.
Use 運命 for fate in general; 宿命 for inescapable, predetermined fate; 因縁 for a karmic bond or tie; 命運 for the fortunes of a group or cause; 天命 for fate as heaven's or God's decree.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 運命うんめいfate
- 因縁いんねんfate
- 宿命しゅくめいfate
- 命運めいうんfate
- 天命てんめいGod's will
- 縁えんfate
- 運気うんきfate
- 安危あんきfate
- 死命しめいfate
- 宿運しゅくうんfate
- ご縁ごえんfate
- 巡り合わせめぐりあわせfortune
- 宿縁しゅくえんdestiny
- 凶運きょううんdoom
- 業報ごうほうkarma effects
- 回り合わせまわりあわせ(turn of) fortune
- 果てしはてしend
- 因果いんがkarma
- 定めさだめdestiny
- 命めいdestiny
- 契りちぎりdestiny
- 定命じょうみょうdestiny
- 命数めいすうdestiny
- 業ごうresult of one's karma
- 数すうdestiny
- 約束やくそくdestiny
- 定数ていすうfate
See also
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