Japanese kanji 死: death; die

The idea

Common Chinese-derived readings include シ. Japanese-origin readings include しぬ. Compare 死ぬ (しぬ) with 死 (し). 死 has 6 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram.

Examples

• 小ちいさな魚さかなが死しにました。The little fish died.
• この虫むしはもう死しんでいます。This insect is already dead.
• 物語ものがたりの王おうは死しにます。The king in the story dies.
• 死しについてこの本ほんを読よみました。I read this book about death.
• 事故じこで一人ひとりが死亡しぼうしました。One person died in the accident.
• 医師いしは死亡しぼうの原因げんいんを調しらべました。The doctor investigated the cause of death.

Watch out

死ぬ is direct; 亡くなる is a gentler way to speak of a person’s death, while 死亡 is formal. Compare 死 with 列: look for 匕 in 死.

Try it yourself

1. Write the reading of 死ぬ in hiragana.

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   しぬ

   死ぬ is read しぬ; the whole word means to die.

2. Write the reading of 死 in hiragana.

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   し

   死 is read し; the whole word means death.

3. Fill in the missing kanji: ＿亡（しぼう）.

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   死

   死 completes 死亡, read しぼう; the whole word means death; dying (formal).

Use it today

Cover the table, write 死 from memory, and read 死ぬ and 死 aloud. Make a sentence, then check the readings and meanings.