生命|せいめいseimei[1]atamadaka (head-high)
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- nounlife; existence
- noun, noun (suffix)(one's) working life; career
- nounlife force; lifeblood; soul; essenceocc. read いのち
- 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


