How to say "lifeline" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 命綱いのちづなnounThe concrete sense: an actual rope or tether securing a life, such as a climber's safety rope or a worker's tether at height. Figuratively it can mean something one depends on for survival.
- 生命線せいめいせんnounThe abstract sense: something indispensable that survival or success hinges on — a supply route, a key industry, a source of income. Choose this when 'lifeline' means a crucial support rather than an actual rope.
Use 命綱 for a physical rope or tether that keeps someone alive, and 生命線 for the abstract sense: something indispensable — a route, supply, or resource — that survival or success hinges on.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
