Thursday, February 14, 2008

命 - Your LIFE Should Be Your Calling

Readings & Meanings:

いのち

メイ

ミョウ

life, order

Common Usage:



命令

命日

寿命

命名

Examples:

「命が惜しければ金を出せ!」と強盗はナイフを突きつけ、金を持ってくるように命令した。

明日はお祖父さんの命日だ。

亀の寿命は非常に長い。

父親はその子に、”かつ”と命名した。

Translations:

In order to get money, the robber ordered "Your money or your life!" at knifepoint.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of your grandfather's death.

A turtle's lifespan is exceedingly long.

The father named the child "Katsu".

Radicals:

has the same widespread cover as 今 and 会 and all those. It also has a 口 radical. Plus, it looks suspiciously like 令, which means order, dictum (see 命令).

So is a place to gather and be told what to do? I'd prefer to look at it as my kanjinetworks.com site describes it: your life (命) is your calling (mouth 口 + 令 order from a deity).

Bonus:

When I was in Ishikawa-ken on one of the most relaxing, pleasant beaches I've ever been to, a group of three Japanese guys came up to me. They noticed I was (a) a foreigner and (b) taking pictures, so the leader, in his Abercrombie shirt and sort-of sideways cap, started talking to me in little bits of English.

They eventually asked if I wanted to take their picture. I said sure, though I hadn't really been planning on it. They thought about what pose they should make, and then the leader said "いんち!" and made this pose.

Inoch!

They were imitating a Japanese comedian, who was himself imitating the kanji of . The arms are the cover, the legs are 口 and the other bit.

I'll never forget 命 because of these three 元気 guys.

References:

http://www.kanjinetworks.com/mnetwork/MANG.html#MANG12
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/kanji/kanji/u.htm

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