生きる
ikiru[ikʲiɾɯ̟]
To live in Japanese can be expressed as 生きる (ikiru). Wiktionary also lists 暮らす (kurasu).
Meaning: be alive (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 生きる | ikiru | [ikʲiɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 暮らす | kurasu | [kɯ̟ɾa̠sɨ] (narrow) |
The term 生きる is used to refer to the biological state of being alive or the act of surviving. It is the appropriate verb when discussing life expectancy or the will to live. In contrast, 暮らす refers to how someone spends their time or their lifestyle (e.g., living alone, living in the countryside).
Which one should you use?
生きる is used to refer to the biological state of being alive or the act of existing as a living being. 暮らす is used to refer to the way one lives their daily life, such as lifestyle or residence.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
ikiru
Did you know?
- The verb 暮らす is derived from 暮れる, which means 'to grow dark' or 'to end the day'. This links the concept of living a lifestyle to the passing of days and evenings.
- The kanji 生 used in 生きる is one of the most flexible characters in Japanese, possessing over a hundred different readings depending on the context.
- Because 生きる focuses on the biological 'being alive', saying 'I live in Tokyo' with it would sound as if you are merely surviving the environment of Tokyo.
Examples in context
- 私には生きる価値がない。I don't deserve to live.This sentence uses 生きる to express a sense of worth.Tatoeba #2296112 by tommy_san, translation #2275976 by CK
- ９０歳まで生きる人は少ない。Few people live to be ninety years old.This sentence uses 生きる in the context of life expectancy.Tatoeba #234926 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #72303 by CK
- 牧場で暮らす動物は家畜です。The animals which live on farms are domesticated.This sentence uses 暮らす to describe the lifestyle of animals on a farm.Tatoeba #682633 by arihato, translation #684682 by notrwanda
- 東京に住んでいます。I live in Tokyo.
- 現在、日本に居住しております。Currently, I am living in Japan.
- 東京にお住まいですか？Do you live in Tokyo?
- 大阪に住んどるわ。I live in Osaka.
- 45 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are talking about a nature documentary.
- 蓮 Renこの魚は、どうやって生きるの？Kono sakana wa, dou yatte ikiru no?How does this fish survive?
- 陽葵 Himari深い海の中で生きるんだよ。Fukai umi no naka de ikiru n da yo.It lives in the deep ocean.
- 蓮 Ren厳しい環境で生きるのはすごいね。Kibishii kankyou de ikiru no wa sugoi ne.It's amazing to live in such a harsh environment.
- 陽葵 Himari本当だね。生命力があるなあ。Hontou da ne. Seimeiryoku ga aru naa.It really is. They have such a strong will to live.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “live” translations and entries 生きる, 暮らす, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
