Future in Japanese: "mirai" or "shourai", explained based on their kanji (2024)

How to say “future” in Japanese

Japanese people would say “mirai” or “shourai”. Both are Japanese words for ‘future’, but not completely the same. In this blog post, therefore, I will explain these two words in detail based on their kanji expressions. And also, I will explain how they are different. My explanations would help Japanese learners to say “future” properly in Japanese. Then, let’s get stared!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “mirai”
• “Mirai” in kanji
  • Example #1: how to say “our future” in Japanese
• Definition and meaning of “shourai”
• “Shourai” in kanji
  • Example #2: how to use “shourai”
  • Example #3: when not to use “mirai”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “mirai”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “mirai”.

• mirai – 未来 (みらい) : a noun meaning ‘(the) future’ in Japanese.

Its definition and meaning are simple and clear, I think. To understand this word more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.

“Mirai” in kanji

The kanji expression of “mirai” consists of the following two characters:

• 未 : a kanji character often used as a prefix to add the meaning of ‘not yet’.
• 来 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘to come’ or to express the act of coming. This kanji can also be found in other words like “raishuu” and “rainen“.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “mirai” literally means ‘not yet come’. This kanji concept is completely in line with the meaning, I think. The future hasn’t come yet.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “mirai” through the detailed kanji check above.

Next, then, let me explain how to use “mirai” through the example sentence below.

Example #1: how to say “our future” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
• tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its plural form, “watashi tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese. Learn more about Japanese plural.
• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “watashi tachi” to make its possessive case, “watashi tachi no”, which means ‘our’ in Japanese.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this is used after the noun phrase, “watashi tachi no mirai”, to make the subject in the sentence.
• akarui – 明るい (あかるい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘bright’, ‘hopeful’, ‘promising’, or such in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “mirai”. In this example, it works as a part of the commonly-used expression, “watashi tachi no mirai”, which means ‘our future’ in Japanese.

As shown in the translation, “mirai” corresponds well to the English noun, “future”. These two words are very similar, but not the same. Japanese people normally use “mirai” to refer to a time in the future in a broad sense; however, it is not suitable for a specific time in the future in which something is likely to happen. When we want to refer to a time in the future more specifically, we should use “shourai”. So, “mirai” and “future” are not always a perfect match. Sometimes, we need to use “shourai” for its translation.

Then, let me explain the definition and meaning of “shourai”.

Definition and meaning of “shourai”

Below are the definition and meaning of “shourai”.

• shourai – 将来 (しょうらい) : a noun meaning ‘(the) future’ in Japanese.

The definition and meaning of “shourai” are the same as those of “mirai”. As I mentioned above, however, it refers to a time in the future more specifically – a time in which something is likely to happen. Perhaps, this explanation sounds weird to Japanese learners, as the future is anyway uncertain for us. Later, I will explain this point in more detail through the example sentence. Before that, let me explain the kanji characters of “shourai” in detail, one by one.

“Shourai” in kanji

The kanji expression of “shourai” consists of the following two characters:

• 将 : a kanji character often used to mean ‘exactly’, ‘surely’, ‘certainly’ or such.
• 来 : the same as explained above. This kanji is widely used to mean ‘to come’ or to express the act of coming.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “shourai” has the nuance of ‘surely come (but not yet)’. This word is, therefore, suitable for a specific time in the future in which something is likely to happen. In this regard, “shourai” is very different from “mirai” of which kanji characters just mean ‘not yet come’. We need to use these two words properly depending on the situation and context.

Then, let me explain how to use “shourai” through the example sentence below.

Example #2: how to use “shourai”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
• isha – 医者 (いしゃ) : a noun meaning ‘doctor’ in Japanese. This can also work as a plural noun.
• ni – に : a case particle used to indicate a particular state which someone or something is in after a change or action. In the example, this is used after “isha” to say what “kare” will become in the future. Here, the occupation can be considered as a state in which “kare” will be.
• naru – なる : a verb meaning ‘to be’, ‘to turn’, ‘to get’, or ‘to become’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “shourai”. To become a doctor is an event in the future and likely to happen. So, “shourai” is suitable for this context. Or perhaps I should say, “mirai” is not suitable for this usage at all. In fact, Japanese native speakers do not use “mirai” when they talk about future jobs.

This Japanese example can be paraphrased with “mirai” as follows. It would help us to see the difference between “mirai” and “shourai”.

Example #3: when not to use “mirai”

This Japanese sentence could be understandable, but sounds very, very weird. The concept of “mirai” is not suitable for a specific event in the future at all. In this context, “shourai” is much better, which has the nuance of ‘surely come’. “Mirai” is more general; “shourai” is more specific. This is the big difference between the two similar words. It’s definitely worth knowing for Japanese learners, I think.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained “mirai” and “shourai” in detail based on their kanji expressions. And also, I’ve explained their difference. Let me summarize them as follows.

• mirai – 未来 (みらい) : a noun meaning ‘(the) future’ in Japanese. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘not yet come’. This is suitable for a time in the future in a broad sense.
• shourai – 将来 (しょうらい) : a noun meaning ‘(the) future’ in Japanese. This has the nuance of ‘surely come (but not yet)’. So, this is more suitable for a time in the future in which something is likely to happen.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.