生涯（しょうがい、shougai）
- lifetime

The Japanese word 生涯 (生涯) means "lifetime," "one's whole life," or "a life." It refers to the entire duration of a person's existence, from birth to death. It can also describe the career of someone. The word often implies a sense of the course, journey, or experiences throughout someone's 生涯.

⚫︎ 彼女は音楽に生涯を捧げた。 Translation: She dedicated her lifetime to music. ⚫︎ 彼の生涯の夢は世界旅行だった。 Translation: His dream of his life was to travel the world. ⚫︎ その科学者は生涯をかけて研究を行った。 Translation: That scientist conducted research throughout his life.

This word is appropriate in many situations when discussing a person's life or the duration of something. ⚫︎ It is often used in formal writing and speech, but it is also used in casual conversations. ⚫︎ You can use it to talk about achievements, experiences, dreams, or anything related to the entirety of someone's or something's existence. ⚫︎ It can be used for oneself or to describe someone else's life.

⚫︎ The standard way to write this word is 生涯, using the kanji for "life" (生) and "the entire journey" or "boundary" (涯). ⚫︎ The reading is しょうがい (shōgai) in hiragana. ⚫︎ There are no common variations in how it's written or the okurigana.

⚫︎ 一生 (isshō) - "a whole life," "one's entire life" ⚫︎ 人生 (jinsei) - "human life," "one's life" ⚫︎ 一生涯 (isshōgai) - "throughout one's whole life" (emphasizes the entire duration)

There are no direct antonyms because the concept of a life does not have a single opposite. However, words related to a short period of time can be considered somewhat opposite. ⚫︎ 瞬間 (shunkan) - "a moment" ⚫︎ 一時 (ichiji) - "a time," "a period"

彼は生涯、故郷を愛し続けた。 ・Translation: He continued to love his hometown throughout his life. ・Explanation: This sentence describes someone's feelings towards their hometown throughout the course of their entire life.

彼女の生涯の目標は、世界平和を達成することだった。 ・Translation: Her goal in her life was to achieve world peace. ・Explanation: This sentence explains a goal set for the entirety of one’s life.

The word 生涯 is composed of two kanji: 生 (sei/shō), meaning "life," "living," or "birth," and 涯 (gai), which means "boundary," "end," or "horizon." Combined, they create the idea of the "boundary of one's life," thus indicating the entirety of one's existence from beginning to end.