Japanese word

生前

Pronunciation

Romajiseizen

Meaning

  • nounduring one's lifetime

Example

祖父は生前、毎日日記を書いていました。so fu wa sei zen mai nichi nik ki o ka i te i ma shi ta

My grandfather kept a diary every day during his lifetime.

Illustration for 生前 (during one's lifetime)

More examples

父は生前、地域の子どもたちに本を寄付していました。chichi wa sei zen chi iki no ko do mo ta chi ni hon o ki fu shi te i ma shi ta

During his lifetime, my father donated books to children in the community.

Core concept

Marks the part of a person's life that comes before death, often framing an action or condition as existing before that boundary.

Common phrases

  • 生前にsei zen ni

    during one's lifetime

  • 生前の希望sei zen no ki bō

    wishes during one's lifetime

  • 生前の功績sei zen no kō seki

    achievements during one's lifetime

Similar words

存命中zonmeichū: The period in which a person is still living, especially in formal statements about past actions.
在世zaise: The time before a person's death when that person is alive, often in formal usage.
生存中seizonchū: The period when a person remains alive, usually in factual or official descriptions.

Definition in Japanese

ある人が生きている間の時期。a ru hito ga i ki te i ru aida no ji ki

Word origin

生前 (seizen) is a compound of 生 (sei, "life") and 前 (zen, "before"), identifying a person's living period before death.

Usage tips

  • 生前 (seizen) is often used in formal contexts about a person's legacy, so it can sound more solemn than a casual expression for being alive.

Opposites

Word lists with this word