営む

• Reading: いとなむ
• Romaji: itonamu
• Kanji breakdown: 営 (ei/itona) — operate, run, manage
• Pronunciation: /i.to.na.mɯ/

Meaning

To run a business; to operate; to conduct. Managing an ongoing enterprise or carrying on a way of life.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb used for running businesses, conducting ceremonies, or leading a lifestyle. More literary than 経営する for business contexts. Also used poetically for living a life, as in 生活を営む. Common in descriptions of family-run shops and traditional livelihoods.

Examples

1. 祖父は小さな書店を営んでいる。 My grandfather runs a small bookstore.
2. 静かな田舎で穏やかな生活を営みたい。 I want to lead a quiet, peaceful life in the countryside.
3. 家族で代々この旅館を営んできた。 Our family has operated this inn for generations.

Usage Guide

Context: business, lifestyle, tradition

Tone: steady

Origin & History

The kanji 営 combines 呂 (connected rooms) and 火 (fire), evoking the image of maintaining fires in connected rooms of an encampment or establishment. Extended from military camps to any managed operation.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal