1.
to live, to be alive
To exist in a living state, as opposed to being dead. The fundamental sense of having life.
長く生きたい。
I want to live long.
2.
to make a living, to survive
To sustain one's existence, often with an implication of how one lives or supports oneself.
TRANSITIVITY: 自動詞 (intransitive). No direct transitive pair.
Related: 生かす (to make use of, to keep alive—different nuance). Pattern: Xが生きる (X lives).
ASPECT: ている is crucial for this verb. 生きている = 'is alive' (state), NOT 'is in the process of living.' This is a stative ている—it describes a continuing state of being alive.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 長く生きる (live long)
- 一生懸命生きる (live with all one's might)
- 今を生きる (live in the moment)
- 生きていく (to go on living, to survive)
- 生き残る (to survive—compound verb)
RELATED VERBS:
- 住む: to reside (focus on location)
- 暮らす: to make a living (focus on daily life)
- 生きる: to be alive (focus on existence itself)