ikigai
/ˌiːkiˈɡaɪ/
one's reason for being or sense of life purpose
ikigai in a sentence
“Finding ikigai brings deep satisfaction and meaning.”
Origin of ikigai
Japanese iki 'life, living' + gai 'worth, value'
What does ikigai really mean?
Ikigai is the reason you get up in the morning — the thing that makes life feel worth living. In Japanese usage it is usually humble and concrete: tending a garden, a craft perfected over decades, grandchildren, the morning's first cup of tea. It needn't be grand, profitable, or impressive to anyone else.
The story behind ikigai
Japanese 生き甲斐, combining iki (life) and gai (worth or value). The concept gained Western attention through studies of Okinawa, one of the world's longevity "blue zones," where researchers linked a strong sense of purpose to long, healthy lives. The famous four-circle Venn diagram (what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, what pays) is actually a Western reinterpretation — the original idea is simpler and more personal.
How to use ikigai
Use it in conversations about purpose, career, and well-being: "She found her ikigai in teaching." It carries a warmer, more everyday register than "calling" or "vocation," and is best used without the buzzword gloss — closer to "what makes your life feel worth living" than "personal brand mission statement."
Related Words
mushin
the state of no-mind or empty awareness in action
dharma
cosmic law, moral duty, or righteous path
karma
the principle that actions have consequences across lifetimes
samsara
the cycle of death and rebirth
nirvana
the extinction of desire and liberation from suffering
tao
the fundamental, nameless way of the universe