Japanese word

亡くす

Pronunciation

Romajinakusu

Meaning

  • verblose

Example

彼は十歳のときに父を亡くしました。kare wa jū sai no to ki ni chichi o na ku shi ma shi ta

He lost his father when he was ten.

Illustration for 亡くす (lose)

More examples

家族は、友人を亡くした人に寄り添いました。ka zoku wa yū jin o na ku shi ta hito ni yo ri so i ma shi ta

The family stood by the person who had lost a friend.

Core concept

Expresses the permanent loss of a person through death, with the bereaved person viewed as the one who loses someone.

Common phrases

  • 友人を亡くすyū jin o na ku su

    lose a friend

Similar words

失うushinau: To suffer the loss of someone through death, separation, or another cause.

Definition in Japanese

身近な人などが死んだため、その人を失う。mi jika na hito na do ga shi n da ta me so no hito o ushina u

Word origin

The native Japanese verb 亡くす (nakusu) is formed from 亡く (naku, "to die") and the causative ending -す (su), linking another person's death to the resulting loss.

Usage tips

  • A common written pattern places a kinship term such as 父 (chichi, "father") before 亡くす (nakusu), making the relationship the grammatical object.

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