短命|たんめいtanmei[0]heiban (flat)

Common
Definitions
  1. na-adjective, no-adjectiveshort life; short lived
    内気うちきな人ひとは外向がいこう的てきな人ひとより短命たんめい?↗
    Do introverts not live as long as extroverts?
Conjugation
Plain form短命(たんめい)
Polite (desu)短命です(たんめいです)
Negative (dewa nai)短命ではない(たんめいではない)
polite (dewa arimasen)短命ではありません(たんめいではありません)
Past (datta)短命だった(たんめいだった)
Past negative (dewa nakatta)短命ではなかった(たんめいではなかった)
Te form (de)短命で(たんめいで)
Adverbial (ni)短命に(たんめいに)
Conditional (nara)短命なら(たんめいなら)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • SynonymはかないNeutralFleeting and illusory, with a melancholy, literary coloring, as in 「儚い命」; it stresses the pathos of things that fade fast. Neutral.
  • Related一時的いちじてきNeutralNeutral: temporary, stressing that something holds only for a short period, while 「短命」 stresses a short lifespan or the brief existence of a regime or product.
  • Related無常むじょうWrittenImpermanence: a Buddhist-tinged, philosophical term for the ever-changing, uncertain nature of this world. Written/formal prose.
  • Related暫定的ざんていてきWrittenProvisional or transitional: a temporary arrangement until something is formally decided, not a matter of lifespan. Written/formal prose.
  • Related刹那的せつなてきNeutralEphemeral, momentary: things that vanish in an instant, often with a live-for-the-moment, seize-the-day nuance. Neutral.
  • Antonym長命ちょうめいWrittenLong life; the direct opposite of 「短命」, used mainly in written/formal prose.
  • Antonym長寿ちょうじゅNeutralLongevity; the opposite of 「短命」 in neutral register, also used for long-running programs such as TV shows.

Use 「短命」 for short lifespans or short-lived regimes and products, as in 「短命内閣」 and 「短命に終わる」. For something merely temporary, 「一時的」; for the fleeting and illusory, 「儚い」; for life's impermanence, 「無常」. Opposites: 「長寿」, 「長命」.

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 寿命じゅみょうが短みじかいこと。
  2. 長続ながつづきしないこと
Kanji in this word
See also

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