Use ikigai for what gives life value or joy, whether it is family, work, craft, service, or a small daily practice.
Use ikigai for what gives life value or joy, whether it is family, work, craft, service, or a small daily practice.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| 私の生きがいは高いです。 | 私の生きがいは大きいです。 |
| 給料だけが私の生きがいをします。 | 仕事で人の役に立つことが私の生きがいです。 |
| 生きがいを食べる。 | 生きがいを感じる。 |
Use ikigai for the felt support that makes daily life meaningful, not only for a grand mission.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| 生きがいが退屈です。 | 生きがいを感じません。 |
| 彼は生きがいを失礼しました。 | 彼は生きがいを失いました。 |
| 生きがいは薬です。 | 生きがいは心の支えになります。 |
Use ikigai broadly for value, joy, and purpose in life, and avoid presenting the modern four-circle diagram as the original Japanese meaning.
ikigai is reduced to a career chart, although Japanese use can include children, friends, hobbies, craft, service, and everyday joys.
From Japanese 生き甲斐 or 生きがい, from 生き, the continuative form of 生きる, plus 甲斐 meaning worth or value, with kai becoming gai by rendaku.
What does ikigai mean?
ikigai means something that makes life worth living, or the feeling that life has value.
How is ikigai written in Japanese?
It is commonly written 生きがい or 生き甲斐.
Is ikigai only about work?
No. ikigai can come from work, family, friends, hobbies, service, or small daily joys.
Is the four-circle diagram the original meaning of ikigai?
No. The diagram is a modern self-help frame, not the whole Japanese meaning of ikigai.
Can ikigai be a person?
Yes. A child, friend, partner, or community can be someone’s ikigai.
Can ikigai change over time?
Yes. A person’s ikigai can shift with age, health, work, relationships, and circumstances.
What is the difference between ikigai and a hobby?
A hobby is an activity, while ikigai is the value or joy that may come from that activity.
Where does ikigai come from?
ikigai combines 生き, linked to living, with 甲斐, meaning worth or value.