寿じゅ命みょう

じゅ

みょ

う

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

noun

lifespan; lifetime

Refers to the natural length of life for living things, or the period something is expected to last.

日本にほん人じんの平へい均きん寿じゅ命みょうは長ながい。
The average lifespan of Japanese people is long.
この犬いぬの寿じゅ命みょうは約やく15年ねんです。
This dog's lifespan is about 15 years.

noun

service life; useful life

Used for the functional lifespan of objects, devices, or consumables like batteries and lightbulbs.

この電でん池ちの寿じゅ命みょうはもうすぐ切きれる。
This battery's life is about to run out.
電でん球きゅうの寿じゅ命みょうが来きたので交こう換かんした。
The lightbulb reached the end of its life, so I replaced it.

See all 49 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉の寿じゅ命みょうが尽つきるfor something's service life to come to an end
このスマートフォンはもう寿じゅ命みょうが尽つきたようだ。
This smartphone seems to have reached the end of its life.
〈物もの〉の寿じゅ命みょうが短みじかいto describe something as having a short lifespan
この犬けん種しゅは寿じゅ命みょうが短みじかいことで知しられている。
This dog breed is known for having a short lifespan.
寿命じゅみょうを全まっとうするto live out one's full natural lifespan
猫ねこは寿じゅ命みょうを全まっとうして静しずかに亡なくなった。
The cat lived out its full lifespan and passed away peacefully.
寿じゅ命みょうが来くるfor one's time (or a device's service life) to be up
そろそろこの車くるまも寿じゅ命みょうが来きたようだ。
This car seems to be reaching the end of its life soon.

Expressions

寿じゅ命みょうを延のばすprolong one's life; extend one's lifespan
寿じゅ命みょうを縮ちぢめるshorten one's life

Kanji

寿longevity, congratulations, one's natural life
命fate, command, decree

Related words· 8

一いっ生しょうN3sense 1
一生 means a person's whole life from birth to death, while 寿命 focuses on the natural or expected length of that life.
生しょう涯がいN1sense 1
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.
余よ命めい sense 1
余命 means the time remaining to live (often used for terminal illness), while 寿命 refers to the total expected lifespan.
耐たい用よう年ねん数すう sense 2
耐用年数 is a technical accounting/engineering term for an asset's useful life in years, while 寿命 is the everyday word for how long something lasts.

Show 4 more

天てん寿じゅ
寿命 is the general, neutral word for 'lifespan' or 'life expectancy,' while 天寿 carries a nuance of a heaven-ordained, natural span of life.
平へい均きん寿じゅ命みょうN2
寿命 is the general word for lifespan or service life, while 平均寿命 specifically means the statistical average life expectancy of a population.
長なが生いきN3
長生き describes the act or state of living long, whereas 寿命 refers to the length of a lifespan itself, as in biology or statistics.
生せい命めいN3
寿命 focuses on the length or span of a life (how long it lasts), while 生命 refers to the state or fact of being alive.

Don't confuse with

命いのちN3
寿命 specifically means one's natural lifespan or life expectancy, while 命 broadly means life itself and only sometimes refers to lifespan.
長ちょう寿じゅN1
寿命 simply means lifespan or life expectancy (which can be long or short), whereas 長寿 specifically means a long life.
延えん命めい
寿命 is a noun meaning 'lifespan' (a fixed or natural duration), whereas 延命 is the act of extending that lifespan beyond its natural end.

Word family

平へい均きん寿じゅ命みょうN2
life expectancy; average life span · mean lifetime
長ちょう寿じゅ命みょう
long operating life; long service life; long life
健けん康こう寿じゅ命みょう
healthy life expectancy; healthy life years

Etymology

Compound of 寿 (long life, congratulations) and 命 (life, fate). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination has long been used to mean the span of life.