# 命 — command; one's life; fate

命 means “command; one's life; fate”. It is a JLPT N3 kanji written with 8 strokes. On'yomi: メイ (mei), ミョウ (myou). Kun'yomi: いのち (inochi). You'll see it in words such as 命 (inochi, “life; life force”).

- Meaning: command; one's life; fate
- On'yomi: メイ (mei), ミョウ (myou)
- Kun'yomi: いのち (inochi)
- Strokes: 8
- Level: JLPT N3 · set Big ideas

## How to remember 命

A person (人) kneeling (卩) before a mouth (口): a command.

Parts: 人 person; roof · 一 one; floor · 口 mouth; box · 卩 kneeling person

## Words with 命

| Word | Reading | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 命 | いのち (inochi) | life; life force |
| 命じる | めいじる (meijiru) | to order; to command |

## Don't confuse it with

[合](https://moji.ninja/n4-kanji/fit/) · [含](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/include/) · [令](https://moji.ninja/n2-kanji/order/) · [吟](https://moji.ninja/n1-kanji/intone/)

## More in the “Big ideas” set

[件](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/case/) · [基](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/foundation/) · [由](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/derive-from/) · [然](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/as-it-is/) · [命](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/command/) · [存](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/be-aware/) · [才](https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/talent/)

---

From Moji Ninja (https://moji.ninja/), a free app for learning hiragana, katakana and the JLPT kanji from N5 to N1 with spaced repetition. Page: https://moji.ninja/n3-kanji/command/. Last updated 2026-11-01.