生命|せいめいseimei[1]atamadaka (head-high)

JLPT N3approx.Common
Definitions
  1. nounlife; existence
    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?
  2. noun, noun (suffix)(one's) working life; career
  3. nounlife force; lifeblood; soul; essenceocc. read いのち
Synonyms & antonyms
  • SynonymライフNeutralLoanword meaning life or living, as in 「ライフスタイル」; mostly used in compounds.
  • Synonym命いのちNeutralNative word for one's life, with emotional weight (「命を大切に」); common in speech, while 「生命」 is the scientific, written term.
  • Antonym死しNeutralDeath; often in abstract expressions (「死を恐れる」), and the direct opposite of 「生命」.
  • Antonym死亡しぼうNeutralDeath; typical of news reports and statistics (「死亡事故」), standing opposite 「生命」.

For the scientific, written sense of life — and in compounds like 「生命保険」 — use 「生命」. Say 「命」 for one's life with feeling; 「ライフ」 is mostly for compounds. 「死」 is the abstract opposite, 「死亡」 the term for reports and statistics.

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 生物せいぶつに備そなわった力ちから、生物せいぶつが生物せいぶつであることによって保たもたれる状態じょうたい・現象げんしょう。生物せいぶつと無生物むせいぶつを隔へだてるもの。
  2. 生物せいぶつ。
  3. 非常ひじょうに大事だいじなもの。
  4. ある業種ぎょうしゅにおけるキャリア。通常つうじょう、否定的ひていてき・悲観的ひかんてきな文脈ぶんみゃくで用もちいる。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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