生せい計けい

せ

い

け

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Refers to the means by which one earns a living or supports oneself financially. Often used in contexts discussing how someone makes ends meet.

彼かれは小しょう説せつを書かいて生せい計けいを立たてている。
He makes a living by writing novels.
生せい計けいを支ささえるために、彼かの女じょは二ふたつの仕し事ごとを掛かけ持もちしている。
To support her livelihood, she juggles two jobs.

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Usage patterns

〈事こと〉で生せい計けいを維い持じするto maintain one's livelihood by doing something
彼かれは農のう業ぎょうで生せい計けいを維い持じしている。
He maintains his livelihood through farming.
生せい計けいの足たしにするto use something to supplement one's income
空あいた時じ間かんに副ふく業ぎょうをして生せい計けいの足たしにしている。
I do side jobs in my free time to supplement my income.
〈人ひと〉の生せい計けいを支ささえるto support someone's livelihood
彼かの女じょは一人ひとりで家か族ぞくの生せい計けいを支ささえている。
She single-handedly supports her family's livelihood.

Expressions

生せい計けいを立たてるmake a living; earn a livelihood

Kanji

生life, genuine, birth
計plot, plan, scheme

Related words

生せい活かつN5
生計 focuses narrowly on the financial means of earning a living, while 生活 refers more broadly to one's daily life and lifestyle overall.
暮くらしN3
暮らし is a warm, everyday word for how one lives day to day, whereas 生計 is a formal term centered on financial livelihood.
糊こ口こう
糊口 is an old-fashioned, literary word for a bare livelihood (as in 糊口を凌ぐ), while 生計 is the standard, more neutral term.
家か計けいN1
生計 refers to earning a living or making ends meet, while 家計 refers to the overall management and state of a household's finances.
生せい活かつ費ひN3
生計 emphasizes the means or way of earning a living (e.g. 生計を立てる), whereas 生活費 is the concrete amount of money spent to live.

Don't confuse with

家か計けいN1
生計 is about how one earns a living, while 家計 is about managing a household's income and expenses (the budget itself).
政せい経けい
政経 (politics and economics, often a school subject) and 生計 (one's livelihood or means of living) share the same reading せいけい but have completely different meanings.

Word family

生せい計けい者しゃ
breadwinner; earner of a household
生せい計けい費ひ
living expenses; cost of living
生せい計けい維い持じ者しゃ
breadwinner; financial provider

Etymology

Compound of 生 (life, living) and 計 (plan, measure), literally 'life plan' or 'means of living'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of livelihood.