天命(てんめい)

Etymology

天(てん) (heaven) + 命(めい) (command, life): heaven's command, rooted in Confucian thought that heaven sets one's purpose and lifespan.

Common expressions

• 人事(じんじ)を尽(つ)くして天命(てんめい)を待(ま)つ: do your best and leave the rest to heaven
• 五十(ごじゅう)にして天命(てんめい)を知(し)る: at fifty, I knew heaven's will (from the Analects of Confucius)
• 天命(てんめい)を全(まっと)うする: to live out one's natural span of life

Similar words

• 運命(うんめい): fate, destiny (the general word)
• 宿命(しゅくめい): fate one cannot escape, often heavy or tragic
• 使命(しめい): mission, calling
• 寿命(じゅみょう): lifespan (everyday word for sense 2)

Usage

Formal and literary; most often met in the set phrases above.