ikigai
Language: Japanese · [ikʲiɡai] · Pronunciation: ee-kee-GUY
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Pronunciation: Speaker: 葵心 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Meaning
what makes a life worth living — a reason to get up
The story
Iki is to live and kai is the worth or reward of something, so the word names what makes a life worth living. Japanese uses it for modest things, a grandchild or a garden, and the four-circle diagram that travels with it online was drawn in the West. English says purpose.
The four rounds
- Which language is it from?
- Japanese
- What does it literally say?
- Living-worth
- Where would you hear it?
- An old fisherman up at five to mend nets
- What does it mean?
- What makes getting up worth it
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