Japanese word

心中

Pronunciation

Romajishinjū

Meaning

  • nounlovers' suicide

Example

昔の物語には心中がよく登場します。mukashi no monogatari ni wa shinjū ga yo ku tō jō shi ma su

Death pacts between lovers often appear in old stories.

Illustration for 心中 (lovers' suicide)

More examples

作者は、心中に至る社会的背景を丁寧に描いています。saku sha wa shinjū ni ita ru sha kai teki hai kei o tei nei ni ega i te i ma su

The author carefully portrays the social background that leads lovers to die by suicide.

Core concept

Describes a joint suicide by lovers, where the bond between them is as central to the meaning as the act itself.

Common phrases

  • 心中を扱うshinjū o atsuka u

    address lovers' suicide

  • 心中を図るshinjū o haka ru

    attempt a lovers' suicide

Similar words

情死jōshi: A literary expression for a lovers' joint suicide that highlights their romantic attachment.

Definition in Japanese

愛し合う二人が、連れ立って自殺すること。ai shi a u futa ri ga tsu re da tte ji satsu su ru ko to

Word origin

The word 心中 (shinjū) combines 心 (shin, "heart") with 中 (chū, "inside"); the meaning developed through 心中立て (shinjūdate), "a proof of love," to denote lovers' suicide together.

Usage tips

  • Unlike the broad English word suicide, shinju normally signals a lovers' relationship, so the surrounding context matters in a literary translation.

Related words

  • 心中するshinjūsurucommit a lovers' suicideverb

Word lists with this word