運命(うんめい)

うんめい
noun
fate; destiny
1. fate; destiny
The predetermined course of events in someone's life; what is destined to happen.
運命(うんめい)の出会(であ)いを信(しん)じますか。
Do you believe in fateful encounters?
彼女(かのじょ)とは運命(うんめい)だと感(かん)じた。
I felt that meeting her was destiny.
運命(うんめい)に逆(さか)らうことはできない。
One cannot go against fate.
自分(じぶん)の運命(うんめい)は自分(じぶん)で切(き)り開(ひら)くものだ。
One's destiny is something you carve out for yourself.
あの日(ひ)、あの場所(ばしょ)で出会(であ)ったのは運命(うんめい)だったのかもしれない。今(いま)ではそう思(おも)う。
Meeting on that day, in that place, may have been fate. That's what I think now.

FORMATION:
運(うん) (luck, fortune) + 命(めい) (life, fate)

USAGE:

  • 運命(うんめい)の人(ひと) (one's destined partner)
  • 運命(うんめい)の出会(であ)い (fateful encounter)
  • 運命(うんめい)を感(かん)じる (to feel destiny)
  • 運命(うんめい)に従(したが)う (to follow one's fate)
  • 運命(うんめい)を切(き)り開(ひら)く (to carve out one's destiny)
  • 運命(うんめい)共同体(きょうどうたい) (community of shared destiny)

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 宿命(しゅくめい) - fate (more predetermined, often negative)
  • 天命(てんめい) - heavenly mandate, divine will
  • 定(さだ)め - destiny, fate (literary)

Related Words

Related: 宿命(しゅくめい) (predetermined fate)
core
Added 2026.1.18 18:27 · Revised 2026.3.14 21:10
06500/06879_unmei