長 命(ちょうめい)

ちょうめい

noun, na-adjective

long life; longevity; long-lived

1. long life; longevity; long-lived

Living to an old age; having a long lifespan. Used both as a noun describing longevity and as a na-adjective describing someone or something that is long-lived.

祖母(そぼ)は長命(ちょうめい)で95歳(さい)まで生(い)きた。

My grandmother was long-lived and lived to 95.

長命(ちょうめい)の秘訣(ひけつ)は何(なん)ですか。

What is the secret to a long life?

日本(にほん)は世界(せかい)でも長命(ちょうめい)な国(くに)として知(し)られており、食生活(しょくせいかつ)がその要因(よういん)の一(ひと)つと言(い)われている。

Japan is known as one of the most long-lived countries in the world, and diet is said to be one of the factors.

Composed of 長(ちょう) (long) + 命(めい) (life). A somewhat literary word for longevity. In everyday conversation, 長生(ながい)き is more common.

Common collocations

長命(ちょうめい)の秘訣(ひけつ): the secret to longevity
長命(ちょうめい)な家系(かけい): a long-lived family line
長命(ちょうめい)を祈(いの)る: to pray for a long life

Similar words

長生(ながい)き: long life — the most common everyday word for living long
長寿(ちょうじゅ): longevity — slightly more formal, often used in celebrations and statistics
寿命(じゅみょう): lifespan — the expected length of life, not necessarily long

Register

Slightly literary or formal. More often encountered in writing, proverbs, and traditional expressions than in casual speech.

Related Words

Antonym: 短命(たんめい) (short-lived)

Compare: 長生(ながい)き (long life)

Compare: 長寿(ちょうじゅ) (longevity)

Compare: 寿命(じゅみょう) (lifespan)

general

Added 2026.4.5 12:40 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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