Translation guide
Expressing the concept of a long life in Japanese, from everyday wishes to formal congratulations and idiomatic expressions.
Expressing a wish or hope that someone lives a long life, often in greetings or toasts.
A polite and common way to wish someone a long life. Literally 'please live long'.
Grandma, please live a long life.
A more formal and heartfelt wish, often used in letters or speeches. 'May you stay healthy and live long.'
May you stay healthy and live a long life.
Formal expression meaning 'I pray for your longevity.' Used in formal greetings or ceremonies.
I sincerely pray for your longevity.
Talking about a person who has lived to an old age, often with respect.
Noun meaning 'longevity'. Used in formal contexts, statistics, or respectful descriptions.
He comes from a family known for longevity.
Verb phrase meaning 'lived a long life'. Casual and commonly used in conversation.
My grandfather lived a long life, until 95.
Noun meaning 'long life' or 'longevity'. Slightly more literary than 長寿.
Referring to specific celebrations or ages associated with long life in Japanese culture.
Celebration of one's 60th birthday, marking a full zodiac cycle. A major longevity milestone.
For my father's 60th birthday celebration, we gave him a red vest.
Celebration of one's 88th birthday. The character 米 can be broken down into 八十八 (88).
Celebration of one's 99th birthday. 白 (white) resembles 百 (100) minus one stroke.
Using fixed expressions that convey the idea of a long life or longevity.
Idiom meaning 'eternal youth and longevity'. Often used in wishes or mythical contexts.
He set out on a journey in search of the elixir of eternal youth and longevity.
Proverb: 'Cranes live for a thousand years, turtles for ten thousand.' Symbolizes wishing for a very long life.
Referring to the abstract idea of living a long time, often in health or lifestyle contexts.
長生き is the most colloquial and versatile term for 'long life'. 長寿 is more formal and often used in respectful contexts or statistics. 長命 is somewhat literary and less common in daily speech.
Japanese culture has specific names for milestone birthdays after 60, such as 還暦 (60), 古希 (70), 喜寿 (77), 傘寿 (80), 米寿 (88), 卒寿 (90), 白寿 (99). These are often celebrated with family gatherings and special gifts.
長命の秘訣は何ですか？
What is the secret to a long life?
We celebrated my grandmother's 88th birthday as a family.
The person who reached their 99th birthday is very healthy.
At the wedding, he gave a speech wishing them a long life, saying 'May you live as long as the crane and the turtle.'
The average lifespan of Japanese people is among the highest in the world.