生活する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 生活する | 生活しない |
| Polite | 生活します | 生活しません |
| Past polite | 生活しました | 生活しませんでした |
| Past | 生活した | 生活しなかった |
| Te-form | 生活して | 生活しないで |
| Desire | 生活したい | 生活したくない |
| Potential | 生活できる | 生活できない |
| Passive | 生活される | 生活されない |
| Causative | 生活させる | 生活させない |
| Causative passive | 生活させられる | 生活させられない |
| Volitional | 生活しよう | |
| Polite volitional | 生活しましょう | |
| Imperative | 生活しろ | 生活するな |
| Conditional | 生活すれば | 生活しなければ |
| Tara conditional | 生活したら | 生活しなかったら |
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
Broad term for everyday life, one's way of living, or the act of living. Often used in contexts like daily routines, lifestyle, or making a living.
Life in the countryside is relaxed.
彼は一人で生活している。
He lives alone.
livelihood; making a living
Focuses on the economic aspect: how one earns money to support oneself. Common in phrases like 生活のために働く (work for a living).
生活のために、彼は毎日長時間働いている。
He works long hours every day to make a living.
He lives in Tokyo.
Prices went up, so making a living has become hard.
She lives with her parents.
My father works every day to support the family's livelihood.
Her part-time job supports the family's livelihood.
生活 is the standalone noun meaning 'life/living', whereas 活 in this sense only appears bound inside compounds such as 生活 itself.
生活 means 'life' or 'living' in a broad sense, whereas 日常生活 narrows it down to the everyday, routine aspects of that life.
生活 is the plain word for 'life/living', whereas 営み is a more formal, literary term that highlights the ongoing activities that make up that life.
生活 is the everyday, general word for a person's daily life, whereas 民生 is a formal administrative term for the collective livelihood/welfare of the citizenry.
生活 refers to daily living or livelihood in a practical sense, whereas 生き方 emphasizes the manner or philosophy behind how one lives.
hardships of life; financial struggles
consumers' cooperative; co-op
living expenses; cost of living
everyday life; daily life
housing conditions; residential life; manner of housing
public life
dormitory life; life in a dorm
sex life; sexual activities
new life; fresh start; new routine
vitality; ability to earn a living
life cycle; life history
daily living sphere; neighborhood; zone of life