How to say "life" in Japanese

• 生活せいかつJLPT N4approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers 'life' as daily living — the round of work, meals, and rest that makes up someone's everyday existence. Typical when discussing life in a city, healthy living, or changes in one's lifestyle.
  収入しゅうにゅうに応おうじた生活せいかつをするように。↗

  You should try to live within your means.
• 人生じんせいJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounRefers to a person's life as a whole, from birth to death. Choose it for talk of the meaning of life, life's ups and downs, or how someone has lived.
  できるあいだに人生じんせいを楽たのしみなさい。↗

  Enjoy your life while you are able to.
• 命いのちJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounBeing alive in the physical sense — the vital force one can lose, save, or risk. This is the word for lives in accidents, rescue, and matters of life and death.
  その犬いぬは少女しょうじょの命いのちを救すくった。↗

  The dog saved the girl's life.
• ライフCommon
  nounA loanword that seldom serves as the ordinary word for life; it turns up mainly inside borrowed expressions and in titles, names, and slogans. For everyday senses, another term is usually the right choice.
• 生命せいめいJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounTreats life as a biological or scientific concept — life in the abstract, studied or debated, rather than a person's daily living or personal story. Typical of academic, medical, and ethical contexts.
  生命せいめいはいつ誕生たんじょうしたのですか。↗

  When did life come into being?

Choose 生活 for everyday living, 人生 for a person's life as a whole, 命 for being alive, 生命 for life as a biological phenomenon, and 「ライフ」 mainly within borrowed expressions rather than ordinary speech.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 生活せいかつlife
• 人生じんせい(one's) life
• 命いのちlife
• ライフlife
• 生命せいめいlife
• 生涯しょうがいlife
• 寿命じゅみょうlifespan
• 生存せいぞんexistence
• 生気せいきlife
• 息の根いきのねlife
• 命脈めいみゃくlife
• 勢いいきおいforce
• 生物せいぶつliving thing
• 生き物いきものliving thing
• 活気かっきenergy
• 月日つきひtime
• 終身しゅうしんlifelong
• 生せいlife
• 活かつliving
• レーベンlife
• 命根めいこんlife
• 息の緒いきのおlife
• 生物界せいぶつかいlife
• 人生ゲームじんせいゲームLife (board game)
• 人世じんせいthis world
• 寿齢じゅれいlong life
• 動感どうかん(feeling of) movement
• 暮らしくらし(way of) life
• 人命じんめい(human) life
• 世よlife
• 持ちもちwear
• 住まいすまいliving
• 精彩せいさいvividness
• 命めいlife
• ライフLife (Japanese credit company)
• 伝でんbiography