When talking about 'life' in Japanese, you'll often encounter two main words: せいかつ (seikatsu) and じんせい (jinsei). While both can be translated as 'life', they refer to different aspects. せいかつ, which is at the A2 level, specifically refers to daily life, routines, and livelihood – the practical, everyday aspects of living. Think of it as your lifestyle or daily existence. For instance, you would use せいかつ to describe your 'student life' (学生生活 - gakusei seikatsu) or 'work life' (仕事生活 - shigoto seikatsu). It’s about the tangible actions and experiences of living.
せいかつ in 30 Sekunden
- Refers to 'life' in the sense of daily living or lifestyle, not life as in 'alive'.
- Often used when talking about one's routine, habits, or the quality of their daily existence.
- Can be combined with other words to describe different aspects of daily life, like 'student life' or 'healthy living'.
Wusstest du?
The kanji for 'seikatsu' (生活) are 生 (sei), meaning 'life' or 'birth', and 活 (katsu), meaning 'lively' or 'active'. Together, they represent the active process of living.
Aussprachehilfe
- Mispronouncing the 'ei' as a long 'e' sound instead of two distinct vowel sounds.
- Not fully pronouncing the 'tsu' sound.
Wichtige Grammatik
Use with verbs like する (suru) to form 'to live' or 'to lead a life'.
新しい生活をする。(Atarashii seikatsu o suru.) - To live a new life.
Combine with の (no) to describe something related to 'life' or 'daily living'.
生活の知恵 (Seikatsu no chie) - Life wisdom / Practical knowledge for daily life.
Can be followed by verbs like 楽しむ (tanoshimu - to enjoy) to express 'enjoying life'.
生活を楽しむ。(Seikatsu o tanoshimu.) - To enjoy life.
Used with adjectives to describe the quality or style of life.
忙しい生活 (Isogashii seikatsu) - A busy life.
Can be a subject or object in sentences talking about how one's life is.
私の生活は楽しいです。(Watashi no seikatsu wa tanoshii desu.) - My life is enjoyable.
Beispiele nach Niveau
にほんの せいかつは どうですか？
How is life in Japan?
「～は どうですか？」 (is like asking 'How is...?')
あたらしい せいかつを はじめます。
I will start a new life.
「～を はじめます」 (to start ~)
たのしい せいかつを おくっています。
I am having a fun life.
「～を おくる」 (to live/send/spend something, in this case 'to live a life')
まいにちの せいかつは いそがしいです。
My daily life is busy.
「まいにち」 (every day)
せいかつに なれましたか？
Have you gotten used to life?
「～に なれる」 (to get used to ~)
わたしは けんこうてきな せいかつを したいです。
I want to live a healthy life.
「～たいです」 (I want to ~); 「けんこうてきな」 (healthy)
しずかな せいかつが すきです。
I like a quiet life.
「しずかな」 (quiet)
この まちの せいかつは べんりです。
Life in this city is convenient.
「この まち」 (this city); 「べんり」 (convenient)
日本では都会の生活と田舎の生活、どちらがいいですか？
In Japan, which do you prefer, city life or country life?
健康的な生活を送るために、毎日運動をしています。
I exercise every day to lead a healthy life.
最近、生活が不規則になりがちなので、改善したいです。
Recently, my daily life tends to be irregular, so I want to improve it.
彼は質素な生活を送っているが、とても幸せそうだ。
He leads a simple life, but he seems very happy.
新しい国での生活は、最初は大変でしたが、今は慣れました。
Life in a new country was difficult at first, but I'm used to it now.
定年後の生活をどう過ごすか、今から計画を立てています。
I'm planning now how to spend my life after retirement.
この街は、生活費が高いので、節約が必要です。
The cost of living in this city is high, so I need to save money.
彼は、社会の役に立つ生活を送りたいと願っている。
He wishes to lead a life that is useful to society.
Wortfamilie
Substantive
Verben
Adjektive
Tipps
Basic Meaning of Seikatsu
せいかつ (seikatsu) means life or living. Think of it as the day-to-day existence.
Using Seikatsu in a Sentence
It's often used when talking about your overall lifestyle or how you spend your days. For example, わたしのせいかつ (watashi no seikatsu) means 'my life' or 'my living'.
Daily Life Example
にちじょうせいかつ (nichijō seikatsu) literally means 'daily life'. This is a common way to talk about everyday routines.
Living Expenses Context
せいかつひ (seikatsu-hi) means living expenses or the cost of living. The 'hi' (費) means expense.
Verbal Form of Seikatsu
せいかつする (seikatsu suru) means 'to live' or 'to lead a life'. It's a common verb for describing the act of living.
Healthy Living
けんこうてきなせいかつ (kenkōtekina seikatsu) means a healthy life or healthy living. 'Kenkōteki' means healthy.
Not About Birth
Don't confuse せいかつ (seikatsu) with いのち (inochi), which refers to life as in biological life or existence, like 'human life'.
Work-Life Balance
In Japan, a common phrase related to life is ワークライフバランス (wāku raifu baransu), a direct loanword for work-life balance, reflecting the concept's importance.
More Nuances of Seikatsu
せいかつ can also imply the way one manages their daily affairs or their general condition of living.
Practice with Seikatsu
Try to describe your own daily life using せいかつ. For example, わたしのせいかつはたのしいです (Watashi no seikatsu wa tanoshii desu) - 'My life is enjoyable'.
Wortherkunft
Japanese
Ursprüngliche Bedeutung: life; living
JaponicKultureller Kontext
When talking about 'seikatsu' in Japanese, it often refers to the practical aspects of daily life, like work, chores, and routines, rather than the broader philosophical concept of 'life' itself. It can also imply one's lifestyle or how one spends their time.
Teste dich selbst 30 Fragen
Choose the correct hiragana for 'seikatsu':
The correct hiragana for 'seikatsu' (life; living) is せいかつ.
Which word means 'life' or 'living'?
せいかつ (seikatsu) means 'life' or 'living'. たべもの (tabemono) means food. がっこう (gakkou) means school. しごと (shigoto) means work.
What is the English meaning of せいかつ?
せいかつ (seikatsu) translates to 'life' or 'living' in English.
The word せいかつ (seikatsu) means 'work'.
せいかつ (seikatsu) means 'life' or 'living', not 'work'.
You can use せいかつ to talk about daily life.
Yes, せいかつ (seikatsu) is commonly used to refer to daily life or living.
The word せいかつ is a verb.
せいかつ (seikatsu) is a noun, not a verb.
Choose the correct reading for 「せいかつ」.
「せいかつ」is read as 'seikatsu'.
Which word means 'life' or 'living'?
「せいかつ」means 'life' or 'living'.
The sentence 「新しいせいかつを始めます。」 (Atarashii seikatsu o hajimemasu.) means:
「新しいせいかつ」means 'new life'.
「せいかつ」can refer to daily life.
「せいかつ」often refers to one's daily life or routine.
The word 「せいかつ」is typically used for a person's name.
「せいかつ」means 'life' or 'living', not a person's name.
The phrase 「健康なせいかつ」 (kenkou na seikatsu) means 'a healthy life'.
「健康な」means 'healthy', so 「健康なせいかつ」means 'a healthy life'.
I lead a healthy life. (watashi wa kenkōteki na seikatsu o okutte imasu)
How is life in Japan? (Nihon no seikatsu wa dō desu ka?)
My life is busy. (watashi no seikatsu wa isogashii desu)
Read this aloud:
毎日の生活
Focus: mai-nichi no sei-katsu
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Read this aloud:
学生生活は楽しいです。
Focus: gaku-sei sei-katsu wa ta-no-shii desu
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Read this aloud:
新しい生活を始めます。
Focus: ata-ra-shii sei-katsu o ha-ji-me-masu
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Write a short sentence about what kind of "life" you want to have in the future, using せいかつ.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
将来、楽しいせいかつを送りたいです。(I want to live a fun life in the future.)
Describe one aspect of your daily "life" using せいかつ. For example, 'My daily life is busy.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
私の毎日せいかつはとても忙しいです。(My daily life is very busy.)
Write a sentence about how to make "life" better, using せいかつ.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
健康的な食べ物を食べることが、せいかつを良くする方法です。(Eating healthy food is a way to improve life.)
What kind of "life" is Tanaka-san having now?
Read this passage:
田中さんは東京で新しいせいかつを始めました。最初は少し大変でしたが、友達もできて、今は毎日が楽しいです。新しい仕事も順調です。
What kind of "life" is Tanaka-san having now?
The passage states "今は毎日が楽しいです" (Now, every day is fun).
The passage states "今は毎日が楽しいです" (Now, every day is fun).
What is the main focus of a student's "life"?
Read this passage:
学生のせいかつは勉強が中心です。試験の前は特に忙しくなります。でも、友達と遊んだり、サークル活動に参加したりする時間もあります。
What is the main focus of a student's "life"?
The passage says "学生のせいかつは勉強が中心です" (A student's life is centered around studying).
The passage says "学生のせいかつは勉強が中心です" (A student's life is centered around studying).
What can you find a lot of in "life" abroad?
Read this passage:
外国でのせいかつは、新しい発見がたくさんあります。文化や習慣の違いに驚くこともありますが、それもまた面白いです。少しずつ慣れていきます。
What can you find a lot of in "life" abroad?
The passage mentions "新しい発見がたくさんあります" (There are many new discoveries).
The passage mentions "新しい発見がたくさんあります" (There are many new discoveries).
Choose the most appropriate word to complete the sentence: 彼の新しい仕事は、彼の______を大きく変えた。
「生活」は、日々の暮らしや生き方を指します。「生命」は命、「生計」は生きていくための収入、「生地」は布の材料を意味します。
Which of the following describes a 'comfortable life'?
「豊かな生活」は物質的にも精神的にも満たされた暮らしを指します。「貧しい生活」は困窮した暮らし、「厳しい生活」は困難な暮らし、「慌ただしい生活」は忙しい暮らしを意味します。
Select the best phrase to describe 'daily life':
「日常生活」は、日々の繰り返し行われる生活を指す一般的な表現です。
「生活習慣病」は、普段の生活習慣が原因で起こる病気のことである。
「生活習慣病」は、食生活や運動習慣などの日常の生活習慣が深く関与して発症する病気の総称です。
「生活する」という動詞は、「生きる」と全く同じ意味で使われる。
「生活する」は日々の暮らしを送ることを意味し、「生きる」は生命活動を続けることを意味するため、ニュアンスが異なります。例えば、「彼はまだ生きているが、生活は困難だ」という使い方もできます。
「生活費」とは、娯楽費や交際費のみを指す言葉である。
「生活費」は、食費、家賃、光熱費など、日常生活を送る上で必要な費用全般を指します。娯楽費や交際費もその一部に含まれることはありますが、それらだけを指すわけではありません。
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Summary
Seikatsu is a versatile word for describing your daily life, routines, and lifestyle in Japanese.
- Refers to 'life' in the sense of daily living or lifestyle, not life as in 'alive'.
- Often used when talking about one's routine, habits, or the quality of their daily existence.
- Can be combined with other words to describe different aspects of daily life, like 'student life' or 'healthy living'.
Basic Meaning of Seikatsu
せいかつ (seikatsu) means life or living. Think of it as the day-to-day existence.
Using Seikatsu in a Sentence
It's often used when talking about your overall lifestyle or how you spend your days. For example, わたしのせいかつ (watashi no seikatsu) means 'my life' or 'my living'.
Daily Life Example
にちじょうせいかつ (nichijō seikatsu) literally means 'daily life'. This is a common way to talk about everyday routines.
Living Expenses Context
せいかつひ (seikatsu-hi) means living expenses or the cost of living. The 'hi' (費) means expense.
Beispiel
日本での生活はとても楽しいです。
Verwandte Inhalte
Dieses Wort in anderen Sprachen
Mehr daily_life Wörter
もう少し
B1A little more.
じゅうしょ
A2The particulars of the place where someone lives.
住所
A2address, residence
～後
A2after
目覚まし
B1Alarm clock. A clock that makes a noise to wake someone up.
目覚まし時計
B1An alarm clock.
ひとりで
A2Alone.
~のに
B1Even though; despite (particle/conjunction).
ごぜん
A2Morning (a.m.).
煩い
B1Noisy; annoying.
