Ways to say it
| Cantonese |
|---|
| 生命 |
| 生活 |
The term used depends on whether you are discussing the biological state of being alive or the activities involved in daily existence. Use 生命 for the biological essence of life or philosophical concepts. Use 生活 to describe the way one lives, such as a lifestyle or daily routines.
Which one should you use?
English speakers often confuse these two terms, but they serve different functions in Cantonese. 生命 is used for the essence of life, such as when discussing 'saving a life' or 'the meaning of life'. In contrast, 生活 is used for the activities of living, such as 'city life' or one's daily routine.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using 生命 when you actually mean daily activities or lifestyle. Instead, use 生活 to describe the experience of living through time.
Did you know?
- When talking about 'life' in terms of one's livelihood or earning a living, Cantonese speakers often use the phrase 搵食 (literally 'finding food').
- Cantonese speakers often use the term 命硬 to describe someone who is 'hard-lived'. This describes a person who survives accidents or disasters that should have killed them.
- The character 生 (to be born/life) is a fundamental building block for many words related to birth, growth, and even 'raw' or 'unprocessed' items in cooking.
Examples in context
- 你仲喺度諗緊生命嘅意義呀？You are still asking yourself what the meaning of life is?This sentence is useful for discussing the philosophical concept of the meaning of life using 生命.Tatoeba #1472294 by nickyeow, translation #2210 by Dejo
- 你好快就會適應呢種新生活㗎喇。You will soon adapt yourself to this new life.This sentence is useful for discussing adapting to a new way of living or lifestyle using 生活.Tatoeba #523646 by nickyeow, translation #52246 by CM
- 好多人嘅生命用三個字就概括到：食，痾，瞓。The meaning of life for most people fits into three letters: ESS – eat, shit, sleep.This sentence is useful for illustrating the essence or meaning of life using 生命.Tatoeba #4973864 by nickyeow, translation #958875 by FeuDRenais2
- 人生苦短，應該珍惜每一天。Life is short, so we should cherish every day.
- 每個人的人生路都有起有落。Everyone's life journey has its ups and downs.
- 49 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Jun Kit and Ka Yan are discussing a nature documentary.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit呢啲小動物嘅生命好短暫。ni1 di1 siu2 dung2 mat6 ge3 sang1 ming6 hou2 dyun2 zaan6.The lives of these small animals are very short.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan係啊，但係佢哋好努力咁生存。hai6 aa3, daan6 hai6 keoi5 dei6 hou2 nou5 lik6 gam3 sang1 cyun4.Yes, but they struggle hard to survive.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit所以我哋要尊重每一個生命。so2 yi4 ngo5 dei6 jiu3 zyun1 cung4 mui5 jat1 go3 sang1 ming6.That's why we should respect every life.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan我完全同意你嘅睇法，俊傑。ngo5 jyun4 cyun4 tung1 ji3 nei2 ge3 tai2 faat3, jun3 git3.I completely agree with your view, Jun Kit.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “life” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
