永
永

eternity, long, lengthy

5 strokesFrequency 846JLPT N2Grade 5

On

エイ

Kun

なが.い

Nanori

えとのりひさひさし

Memory

Memory Mnemonics

Keywords

eternity

Constituents

丶drop
水water

Mnemonic Stories

The soul is but a single drop poised above the endless water of time, surfing the cosmic waves for eternity.

Sisyphus's next punishment is to separate one drop from the ocean (water) and hold it aloft for eternity, never letting it rejoin the whole.

Visually, picture an hourglass filled with water instead of sand. Use the drop at the top to imagine the water dripping down from above. The hourglass contains all the water in the universe, and it will take an eternity for it to run out.

The cycle of water: evaporating at the top as a drop, then raining back down, is a process that will repeat for all eternity.

Dictionary

Common Words

長い永いながい～い Adj.Freq #280
1

長い only

long (distance, length)

Examples
彼に長い手紙を書いた。
I wrote a long letter to him.
これは日本で２番目に長い川だ。
This is the second longest river in Japan.
2

long (time); protracted; prolonged

Examples
株式市場は長い不振を続けている。
The stock market is in a prolonged slump.
だんだん日が長くなっています。
The days are getting longer and longer.
永遠えいえんNoun～な Adj.～の Adj.Freq #2049
1

eternity; perpetuity; permanence; immortality

Examples
その画家は、いわば永遠の少年だ。
The artist is eternally a boy.
長年永年ながねんNounAdverbFreq #2951
1

many years; a long time

Examples
彼は外国に長年住んでいた。
He lived abroad for many years.
永久えいきゅうNounFreq #6823
1

Adjectival nouns or quasi-adjectives (keiyodoshi); Nouns which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

eternity; permanence; perpetuity

Examples
彼は永久に日本を離れた。
He left Japan for good.
2

Historical term

Eikyū era (1113.7.13-1118.4.3)

長いこと長い事永いこと永い事ながいことAdverbExpressionFreq #7299
1

for a long time

長々長長ながなが永々永永Adverb～と AdverbFreq #10432
1

for a long time; at (great) length; lengthily; long-windedly; tediously

Examples
先生は時間を守ることの大切さについて長々と述べた。
Our teacher dwelt on the importance of punctuality.
2

(extending) far; (stretching) out; (lying down) at full length

Examples
ジョンは長いすに長々と寝そべっていた。
John stretched out on the couch.
長永ながSuffixFreq #11202
1

Prefix

long

長らく永らくながらくAdverbFreq #12869
1

long; (for a) long time

Examples
長らくお待たせして申し訳ありません。
I'm sorry to have kept you waiting so long.
長続きながつづき永続きNounIntransitive～する VerbFreq #19850
1

lasting long; continuation; keeping at (something); sticking to (something)

Examples
青年期友情は長続きしないことが多いと言われる。
It is said that adolescent friendships do not often last.
末永い末長いすえながい～い Adj.Freq #20070
1

permanent; everlasting; lasting; very long; many years of

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