運 命(うんめい)

うんめい

noun

fate; destiny

literary

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.

Forms

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)

Related: 天命(てんめい) (heavenly mandate, divine will)

Related: 定(さだ)め (destiny (literary))

Related: 運(うん) (luck, fortune)

Compare: 悲運(ひうん) (ill fate)

Compare: 宿縁(しゅくえん) (predestined bond)

Compare: 天運(てんうん) (fate)

core

Added 2026.1.18 18:27 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

06500/06879_unmei