Japanese word

遺書

Pronunciation

Romajiisho

Meaning

  • nounsuicide note

Example

彼は家族に遺書を残しました。kare wa ka zoku ni i sho o noko shi ma shi ta

He left a suicide note for his family.

Illustration for 遺書 (suicide note)

More examples

弁護士は本人の遺書を確認しました。ben go shi wa hon nin no i sho o kaku nin shi ma shi ta

The lawyer checked the person's suicide note.

Core concept

Refers to writing left before a person's death to communicate final thoughts, feelings, or wishes to those who remain.

Common phrases

  • 遺書を書くi sho o ka ku

    write a suicide note

  • 遺書を残すi sho o noko su

    leave a suicide note

Definition in Japanese

自分の死後に残される人へ向けて、最後の思いや希望を記した手紙や文書。ji bun no shi go ni noko sa re ru hito e mu ke te sai go no omo i ya ki bō o shiru shi ta te gami ya bun sho

Word origin

遺書 (isho) is formed from 遺 (i, "leave behind") and 書 (sho, "writing"), a Sino-Japanese combination for a written message left after its writer's death.

Usage tips

  • English separates the meanings of 遺書 (isho) with terms such as "suicide note" and "will," while Japanese uses the same word for both in suitable contexts.

Other meanings

  • willnoun

Word lists with this word