生存（せいぞん、seizon）
- survival

The Japanese word 生存 (せいぞん, seizon) primarily means "survival" or "existence." It refers to the state of remaining alive, continuing to live, or persisting. It encompasses the ability to withstand challenges and maintain life, whether for a living organism, a concept, or an organization. It implies a continuation of life in the face of potential threats or difficulties. 生存 is a fundamental concept across various fields, including biology, social studies, and business.

⚫︎生物は厳しい環境下での生存をかけて進化する。 Translation: Living organisms evolve to survive in harsh environments. ⚫︎絶滅危惧種の生存を保護する活動が行われている。 Translation: Activities are being conducted to protect the survival of endangered species. ⚫︎企業の生存のためには、変化への適応が不可欠だ。 Translation: Adaptation to change is essential for the survival of a company.

生存 is used in formal and informal contexts. It's often used when discussing life and death, environmental issues, the persistence of something, or the ongoing operation of a system or entity. You would use it when talking about the ability to live or to continue existing.

生存 is typically written in kanji as 生存. The reading is せいぞん in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is not variable.

⚫︎生き残り (いきのこり, ikinokori) - survival, remaining alive (often used in a more active sense) ⚫︎存続 (そんぞく, sonzoku) - continuation, existence (often used for organizations or systems) ⚫︎生きる (いきる, ikiru) - to live, to survive (verb form, more general)

⚫︎死 (し, shi) - death ⚫︎滅亡 (めつぼう, metsubou) - destruction, ruin ⚫︎絶滅 (ぜつめつ, zetsumetsu) - extinction

極寒の地でも、生存できる植物がある。 ・Translation: There are plants that can survive even in extremely cold regions. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates the concept of survival in a challenging environment. It emphasizes the capability to remain alive under difficult conditions.

厳しい競争社会で、企業の生存競争は激化している。 ・Translation: In a competitive society, the competition for the survival of companies is intensifying. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 生存 to describe the struggle of businesses to remain operational and viable in a competitive market.

The word 生存 is a compound word derived from two kanji: 生 (せい, sei), meaning "life" or "to live," and 存 (そん, son), meaning "to exist" or "to remain." Therefore, the combination naturally implies "the state of living" or "the continuation of life".