永劫

• Reading: えいごう
• Romaji: eigō
• Kanji breakdown: 永 (ei/naga) — eternal, long; 劫 (gō/kō) — kalpa, aeon (Buddhist time unit)
• Pronunciation: /eː.ɡoː/

Meaning

Eternity; perpetuity; an infinitely long span of time. Used in expressions emphasising something lasting forever or a future that will never arrive.

A formal, literary noun frequently paired with 未来 or used in the fixed expression 永劫回帰 (eternal recurrence, Nietzsche's concept). Also appears in 永劫に (eternally) and the emphatic 永劫ない (will never happen). More elevated and philosophically weighted than 永遠 in register.

Examples

1. 永劫に変わることのない真実など存在しない。 There is no such thing as a truth that remains unchanged for all eternity.
2. その出来事は永劫忘れることができないだろう。 That event is something I will probably never be able to forget.
3. 仏教では永劫の時間の中で輪廻が繰り返されると説く。 Buddhism teaches that the cycle of reincarnation repeats throughout an eternity of time.

Usage Guide

Context: philosophy, Buddhist scripture, literary writing, idioms

Tone: literary

Origin & History

From Classical Chinese via Buddhist scripture. 永 means everlasting; 劫 (also read こう, Sanskrit kalpa) is a Buddhist concept of an immeasurably vast unit of time. Together they convey absolute, incomprehensible eternity.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated