life

生命、命

人や動植物が成長し、体の働きを保ち、生きている状態。

やさしい英語で： The state that lets people, animals, and plants grow, function, and stay alive.

• Plants need water to support life.
• Scientists found no signs of life on the planet.
• The forest is full of animal life.

反対語： death

よく使う表現： signs of life, life on earth, plant life, human life

一生、生涯

人や生き物が生まれてから死ぬまでの期間。

やさしい英語で： The time someone or something is alive, from birth until death.

• He lived a long life.
• She spent her whole life near the sea.
• Their lives changed when they moved abroad.

類義語： lifetime, lifespan

よく使う表現： whole life, long life, someone’s life

活動、存在

生き物でないものも含め、存在したり活動したりしている状態。

やさしい英語で： The state of existing or being active, including for things that are not alive.

• The project gained new life.
• The festival brought the town back to life.
• The old machine came to life with a loud hum.

使い方： bring something back to life (The investment brought the factory back to life.); come to life (The empty square came to life after sunset.)

類義語： existence, activity

よく使う表現： come to life, back to life, new life

生きがい、すべて

その人にとって、何よりも大切な人や活動。

やさしい英語で： A person or activity that matters more to someone than anything else.

• Music is his life.
• Her children are her whole life.
• The farm had been his life for forty years.

使い方： someone/something + be + someone’s life (For her, music is her life.)

類義語： everything

よく使う表現： someone’s whole life, someone’s life