Japanese word

死

Pronunciation

Romajishi

Meaning

  • noundeath

Example

死について話します。shi ni tsu i te hana shi ma su

I talk about death.

Illustration for 死 (death)

More examples

祖父の死をきっかけに、家族の大切さを考えるようになりました。so fu no shi o ki kka ke ni ka zoku no tai setsu sa o kanga e ru yō ni na ri ma shi ta

After my grandfather's death, I began to think about how important family is.

Core concept

Refers to the ending of life, whether as a real event or as a subject discussed in thought and language.

Common phrases

  • 死についてshi ni tsu i te

    about death

  • 死を恐れるshi o oso re ru

    fear death

  • 死を受け入れるshi o u ke i re ru

    accept death

Similar words

死亡shibō: The end of a life, especially in formal, medical, or factual descriptions.
逝去seikyo: A polite term for the death of a person.

Definition in Japanese

生命の働きがなくなること。sei mei no hatara ki ga na ku na ru ko to

Word origin

死 (shi, "death") is a Sino-Japanese noun formed from the character 死 (shi, "death"), which entered Japanese from Chinese with the on'yomi reading shi.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, 死 (shi, "death") sounds more direct than 亡くなる (nakunaru, "to pass away"), which is often chosen for a person's death.

Opposites

Word lists with this word