生きて、笑って、愛して
ikite, waratte, aishite
The English phrase "live laugh love" is translated into Japanese as 生きて、笑って、愛して (ikite, waratte, aishite).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of three parts: 生きて (live), 笑って (laugh) and 愛して (love). The second part, 笑って, is the te-form of the verb warau, which means to laugh or smile.
How do you pronounce it?
ikite, waratte, aishite
Did you know?
- If you removed the Hiragana characters and wrote the phrase using only Kanji, the aesthetic would shift from a modern inspirational quote to something resembling a solemn Buddhist sutra. This is because the density of the characters would make the text look traditionally religious and formal.
- The word 愛 (ai) used in the phrase is far more profound and weighty than the English word 'love'. While English speakers use 'love' for everything from pizza to partners, Japanese speakers reserve 愛 for deep, selfless, or eternal devotion.
- While 'live laugh love' is a common home decor slogan in English, translating it literally into Japanese as 生きて、笑って、愛して can sound like a series of commands or requests due to the 'te-form' grammar.
Examples in context
- 生き、笑い、愛することを忘れずに、未来に進んでくださいDo not forget to live, laugh, and love as you move into the future.
- 楽しみながら生きていこうよLet's live while enjoying ourselves
Example conversation
Yui is showing Ren a new piece of home decor.
- 蓮 Renこの看板に何て書いてあるの？Kono kanban ni nante kaite aru no?What does this sign say?
- 結衣 Yui生きて、笑って、愛して、だよ。Ikite, waratte, aishite, dayo.It says live, laugh, love.
- 蓮 Renいい言葉だね。Ii kotoba da ne.Those are nice words.
- 結衣 Yuiそうでしょ？素敵だと思ったの。Sou desho? Suteki da to omotta no.Right? I thought it was lovely.
