This site will be taken down March 31st, 2026.

This was not an easy decision to make. For the last couple years, I have been struggling to find motivation for this site and to keep up with basic maintenance and security updates. With the rise of AI and more sophisticated tools, the usefulness of sites like this is questionable and traffic has nose-dived. I just don't have it in me to keep doing this. Thank you all for 10 years of support!

Zach

それはいわば生死の問題だ。

Sentence Analyzer

それ いわば 生死 問題

English Translation

It is, as it were, a life and death problem.

Furigana

それはいわば生死(せいし)問題(もんだい)だ。

Romanji

Sore wa iwaba seishi no mondai da.

Words

其れ (それ)
that (indicating an item or person near the listener, the action of the listener, or something on their mind); it; that time; then; there (indicating a place near the listener); you
()
topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
言わば (いわば)
so to speak; so to call it; as it were
生死 (せいし、しょうし、しょうじ)
life and death; samsara (cycle of death and rebirth); death
()
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
問題 (もんだい)
question (e.g. on a test); problem; problem (e.g. societal, political); question; issue; subject (e.g. of research); case; matter; question (i.e. doubt); public discussion; controversy; trouble; problem; inconvenience; difficulty
()
be; is; indicates past or completed action; indicates light imperative

Kanji

Readings: セイ、 ショウ、 い.きる、 い.かす、 い.ける、 う.まれる、 うま.れる、 う.まれ、 うまれ、 う.む、 お.う、 は.える、 は.やす、 き、 なま、 なま-、 な.る、 な.す、 む.す、 -う
Meanings: life, genuine, birth
Readings: シ、 し.ぬ、 し.に-
Meanings: death, die
Readings: モン、 と.う、 と.い、 とん
Meanings: question, ask, problem
Reading: ダイ
Meanings: topic, subject