Jukujikun – Special Reading of Kanji
Table of Contents
1. “うんめい” or “さだめ” — How Should You Read “運命“?
2.Standard Reading: Combination of On-yomi (Chinese Readings)
3. What Is Jukujikun?
4. When Jukujikun Is Used and Its Effect
5. Summary
6. Similer Articles
7. Comment
Q: What are the special readings like “運命 = さだめ” and “生命 = いのち” that often appear in song lyrics?
To begin with, the standard readings are “うんめい” for 運命 and “せいめい” for 生命.
However, reading them as “さだめ” and “いのち” is also correct. These are examples of a special reading system called jukujikun, where a native Japanese reading is applied not to each individual kanji, but to the entire compound as a whole.
It’s a reading style unique to the Japanese language. Let’s take a closer look.
Standard Reading: Combination of On-yomi (Chinese Readings)
In general, Japanese compound words (熟語) are read using the on-yomi, or Chinese readings, of each individual kanji. For example:
“運命” is read as “うん” (運) + “めい” (命) → うんめい
“生命” is read as “せい” (生) + “めい” (命) → せいめい
This style of reading is standard and commonly used in daily conversation, business documents, and news reports.
[Examples]
運命なんて誰にもわかりません。
No one really knows what fate holds.
生命保険の見直しをしませんか。
Would you like to review your life insurance policy?
What Is Jukujikun?
Jukujikun is a special type of reading in which an entire kanji compound—consisting of two or more characters—is assigned a single native Japanese (kun-yomi) reading.
Unlike standard readings, which read each kanji individually using on-yomi or kun-yomi, jukujikun treats the whole compound as one unit, giving it a single, unified meaning and pronunciation.
For example, reading “運命” as さだめ and “生命” as いのち are both cases of jukujikun.
Jukujikun has existed in the Japanese language since ancient times, and many such words are used in daily life without people necessarily being aware of their special reading.
[Common Examples of Jukujikun]
大人・明日・一昨日・小豆・田舎・紅葉・美味い・上手い etc
When Jukujikun Is Used and Its Effect
Jukujikun is often used in contexts that call for literary or poetic expression. It frequently appears in literature, poetry, and song lyrics.
This is because jukujikun can convey emotional nuance and depth of imagery that regular on-yomi readings often cannot express.
For example, words like “運命 (うんめい)” or “生命 (せいめい)” using on-yomi readings tend to sound abstract or formal.
In contrast, the jukujikun readings “さだめ” and “いのち” have a softer tone and give a warmer, more human impression that resonates more deeply with the heart.
That is why jukujikun is often chosen in poetic language dealing with profound themes such as life and death, love, and farewell.
[Examples]
これは運命なのか、それとも偶然か。
Is this destiny, or just coincidence?
生命は、燃えるように短く美しいものだ。
Life is something short and beautiful, like a burning flame.
In this way, jukujikun is not merely a “special reading” of kanji, but one of the uniquely rich expressive techniques of the Japanese language that adds emotional depth and poetic nuance to words.
Summary
- Jukujikun is a special way of reading in which an entire kanji compound is given a single native Japanese (kun-yomi) reading. “さだめ” (for 運命) and “いのち” (for 生命) are typical examples.
- Many jukujikun are familiar and have become part of everyday language.
- In poetry and song lyrics, they are often used to create a more emotional or literary tone.
Similer Articles
- Must-Know for Foreigners Working in Japan: Do You Really Need a Hanko (Personal Seal)?
- Differences in Parts of Speech between Japanese and English②
- Differences in Parts of Speech between Japanese and English①
- Learning the Forms of Japanese from Classical Literature
- Idioms Using “頭” ② – Useful in Everyday Conversations
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