生き残る|いきのこるikinokoru[4]nakadaka (mid-high)
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- godan verb, intransitive verbto survive
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 生き残る(いきのこる) |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 生き残ります(いきのこります) |
| Negative (nai) | 生き残らない(いきのこらない) |
| polite (masen) | 生き残りません(いきのこりません) |
| classical zu / nu | 生き残らず・生き残らぬ(いきのこらず・いきのこらぬ) |
| Past (ta) | 生き残った(いきのこった) |
| polite (mashita) | 生き残りました(いきのこりました) |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 生き残らなかった(いきのこらなかった) |
| polite (masen deshita) | 生き残りませんでした(いきのこりませんでした) |
| Te form | 生き残って(いきのこって) |
| Potential | 生き残れる(いきのこれる) |
| Passive | 生き残られる(いきのこられる) |
| Causative | 生き残らせる(いきのこらせる) |
| Causative passive | 生き残らせられる・生き残らされる(いきのこらせられる・いきのこらされる) |
| Conditional (ba) | 生き残れば(いきのこれば) |
| tara | 生き残ったら(いきのこったら) |
| Volitional | 生き残ろう(いきのころう) |
| polite (mashou) | 生き残りましょう(いきのこりましょう) |
| Imperative | 生き残れ(いきのこれ) |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
- Synonym生き延びるいきのびるNeutralNeutral. To survive when you should have died, or to live on longer; 「生き残る」 is more about being left alive after others die, or figuratively surviving competition.
- Synonym残るのこるNeutralNeutral. To remain or be left over, of things as well as people; 「生き残る」 means staying alive, or figuratively carrying on in competition.
- Synonym残存ざんぞんWrittenWritten/formal. Remaining or surviving; common in writing, while in speech 「生き残る」 is the usual word.
- Synonym凌ぐしのぐWrittenWritten/formal. To get through hardship or to surpass, as in 「暑さを凌ぐ」; 「生き残る」 is about surviving.
- Synonym生き抜くいきぬくNeutralNeutral. Overcoming hardship and living through to the end; 「生き残る」 leans toward remaining when others are weeded out.
- Synonym生きながらえるいきながらえるWrittenWritten/formal. To go on living and live long; 「生き残る」 leans toward surviving while others are weeded out.
- Related生存せいぞんWrittenWritten/formal. Existing or staying alive; 「生き残る」 leans toward surviving while others are weeded out.
- Related生きるいきるNeutralNeutral. To live or exist — the broadest of these words; 「生き残る」 specifically stresses surviving.
- Related死に後れるしにおくれるWrittenWritten/formal. To outlive someone you had expected to die first, often with a mournful note; 「生き残る」 leans toward surviving a disaster.
- Related永らえるながらえるWrittenWritten/formal. To live a long life; 「生き残る」 leans toward surviving while others are weeded out.
- Antonym死ぬしぬNeutralNeutral. To die; the direct opposite of 「生き残る」.
- Antonym滅びるほろびるNeutralNeutral. To go to ruin or perish; the opposite of 「生き残る」, which is about surviving.
Use 「生き残る」 for surviving a disaster or competition, often metaphorically as in 「業界で生き残る」. For escaping death pick 「生き延びる」, for living through hardship 「生き抜く」, for a long life 「ながらえる」; the opposites are 「死ぬ」 and 「滅びる」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


