How to Say "To Live" in Japanese

生きる

ikiru[ikʲiɾɯ̟]

To live in Japanese is 生きる (ikiru).

生きる is used to describe the act of being alive or the state of continuing to exist.

Which one should you use?

Use 生きる when referring to the state of being alive.

生きる is an intransitive verb, so it does not take a direct object.

ikiru

In Japanese culture, the phrase 生きがい (ikigai) combines 生きる with 'worth' to describe a reason for getting out of bed in the morning.
The kanji for 生きる, 生, is one of the most versatile characters in Japanese and can be read as 'nama' to mean 'raw' or 'fresh' in contexts like 'raw fish'.
Japanese has a specific word 生き返る (ikikaeru) which combines 生きる with 'return' to mean 'to come back to life' or 'to feel refreshed' after a nap or a cold drink.

私には生きる価値がない。
I don't deserve to live.
This sentence shows how to express the value of one's life using 生きる.
Tatoeba #2296112 by tommy_san, translation #2275976 by CK
水なしで生きることは不可能だ。
It is impossible to live without water.
This sentence uses 生きる to discuss the necessity of water for survival.
Tatoeba #143797 by KK_kaku_, translation #270769 by CK
生きるためにはお金がいります。
We need money to live.
This sentence uses 生きる to express the need for money to sustain life.
Tatoeba #10206551 by small_snow, translation #9725689 by DJ_Saidez
彼は東京に住んでいます。
He lives in Tokyo.
田中さんはどちらにお住まいになりますか？
Where do you live, Mr./Ms. Tanaka?
東京で楽しく暮らしています。
I'm living happily in Tokyo.
21 more sentences on Tatoeba

Ren and Yui are talking about a documentary they watched.

蓮 Ren

あの動物はどうやって生きるの？
Ano dōbutsu wa dōyatte ikiru no?
How does that animal live?
結衣 Yui

砂漠で生きるために工夫しているよ。
Sabaku de ikiru tame ni kufū shite iru yo.
It adapts in order to live in the desert.
蓮 Ren

生きるのは大変そうだね。
Ikiru no wa taihen sō da ne.
It seems hard to survive.
結衣 Yui

うん、でも強い生命力を持っているよ。
Un, demo tsuyoi seimeiryoku o motte iru yo.
Yeah, but it has a strong will to live.

Sources

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