Japanese Conversation · Level 93
60 words
Japanese word
終身
Pronunciation
Romajishūshin
Meaning
- nounfor life
Example
この会員資格は終身です。ko no kai in shi kaku wa shū shin de su
This membership is for life.
More examples
日本ではかつて終身雇用が一般的でした。nihon de wa ka tsu te shū shin ko yō ga ip pan teki de shi ta
Lifetime employment was once common in Japan.
Core concept
Marks a condition or status that remains in effect until the end of a person's life.
Common phrases
終身雇用shū shin ko yō
lifetime employment
終身会員shū shin kai in
lifetime membership
終身保険shū shin ho ken
whole life insurance
Similar words
生涯shōgai: A person's complete lifetime, considered as one continuous period.
一生isshō: The full length of time that a person lives.
Definition in Japanese
生涯の全期間に及ぶこと。shō gai no zen ki kan ni oyo bu ko to
Word origin
The Sino-Japanese compound 終身 (shūshin) is made from 終 (shū, "end") and 身 (shin, "body" or "self"), linking a person's life with its end.
Usage tips
- The compound 終身雇用 (shūshin koyō) refers to lifetime employment, but it describes an employment model rather than a promise made to every worker.
Opposites
- 有期yūkifixed-termnoun