生しょう涯がい

しょ

う

が

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

Refers to the entire span of a person's life or their life's work; often used in formal or reflective contexts.

for life; all one's life; throughout one's life

Adverbial use meaning 'for the rest of one's life' or 'throughout one's entire life'; often used with verbs like 忘れない, 続ける, 覚えている.

〈事こと〉を生しょう涯がい忘わすれないto never forget something for the rest of one's life
彼かれの優やさしさを生しょう涯がい忘わすれない。
I will never forget his kindness for as long as I live.
生しょう涯がいを〈事こと〉に捧ささげるto devote one's whole life to something
彼かれは研けん究きゅうに生しょう涯がいを捧ささげた。
He devoted his entire life to research.
〈事こと〉に生しょう涯がいをかけるto stake one's whole life on something
彼かの女じょは音おん楽がくに生しょう涯がいをかけた。
She staked her whole life on music.
生しょう涯がい独どく身しんで過すごすto remain single throughout one's life
彼かれは生しょう涯がい独どく身しんで過すごした。
He remained single for the rest of his life.

一いっ生しょうN3sense 1
一生 is the everyday word for 'one's whole life', while 生涯 is slightly more formal and often used in written or solemn contexts.
人じん生せいN3sense 1
人生 refers to human life in a philosophical or experiential sense, whereas 生涯 emphasizes the chronological span or career of a life.
終しゅう生せい sense 2
終生 means 'for the rest of one's life' and is used almost only as an adverb before verbs like 忘れない, whereas 生涯 can also stand alone as a noun meaning 'lifetime'.
半はん生せい
生涯 is a more formal word for one's whole life span, often used in biographies, whereas 半生 specifically means half a lifetime or life up to now.

Show 6 more

寿じゅ命みょうN2
生涯 is a somewhat literary word for one's entire life or career, whereas 寿命 specifically means the expected duration of life or use.
終しゅう身しん
生涯 is a formal literary word for one's whole life span (as in 生涯学習), while 終身 specifically modifies institutional terms like insurance or employment that last for life.
生せい前ぜんN1
生涯 refers to a person's entire lifespan as a whole, while 生前 focuses narrowly on the period before their death, often used when recalling a deceased person.
一いち期ご
生涯 is a formal but still commonly used word for a lifetime, while 一期 read いちご is more archaic and mainly survives in set phrases like 一期一会.
一いっ世せい
生涯 is the common word for a person's whole life, whereas 一世 carries a more formal, literary tone for the same idea.
一いち代だい
生涯 is a formal, literary word for 'one's life span', whereas 一代 focuses on the era or reign defined by one person's activity.

生せい活かつN5
生涯 means one's entire lifetime or career span, while 生活 means everyday living or livelihood, so learners can mix up the timeframe each word covers.

Show 3 more

From Middle Chinese-derived kanji 生 (life) and 涯 (shore, limit), together meaning 'the limits of life' or 'lifetime'.