未来（みらい、mirai）
- future

The word 未来 (みらい) means "future" in English. It refers to the time that is to come, the period of time after the present. It encompasses events, possibilities, and circumstances that have not yet occurred. It can be a broad concept or refer to a specific point or period in the time that is yet to come. It often implies a sense of anticipation, expectation, or potential. ⚫︎It can also mean "the future" as a concept, such as discussing future technologies or future plans. ⚫︎ It can refer to a specific future time, like “the future after graduating.”

⚫︎未来について話しましょう。 Translation: Let's talk about the future. ⚫︎彼女の未来は明るい。 Translation: Her future is bright. ⚫︎未来の技術について研究しています。 Translation: I'm researching future technologies.

You use 未来 when you are talking about the time ahead or the things to come. ⚫︎It's suitable in a wide range of contexts, from everyday conversations about plans to more serious discussions about the world's progress. ⚫︎You can use it to refer to the future of a person, a company, a nation, or even the universe. ⚫︎It is often used when discussing goals, dreams, predictions, and possibilities.

未来 is typically written in kanji as 未来 and pronounced みらい. ⚫︎The hiragana みらい is used to indicate the pronunciation. ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana. ⚫︎It is not commonly written in katakana.

⚫︎将来 (しょうらい) - future; prospects ⚫︎行く末 (ゆくすえ) - the future; one's prospects ⚫︎先 (さき) - the future; ahead

⚫︎過去 (かこ) - past ⚫︎現在 (げんざい) - present ⚫︎昔 (むかし) - past; old times

未来の都市はどんな姿になるのだろう？ ・Translation: I wonder what future cities will look like? ・Explanation: This sentence expresses curiosity about the appearance of cities in the future.

自分の未来のために、今できることを頑張ろう。 ・Translation: Let's do our best now for our own future. ・Explanation: This sentence emphasizes the importance of present actions in shaping one's future.

The word 未来 is a compound word composed of two kanji: 未 (mi), meaning "not yet," and 来 (rai), meaning "to come." Therefore, literally, 未来 means "not yet come," or "the time that is yet to come," which perfectly encapsulates the meaning of "future".