Die in Japanese
"die" in Japanese, with the kanji that carry the meaning.
4 Japanese kanji carry the meaning "die". The most common choice is shown first.
Which one to use
死 is to die plainly. 逝 is to pass away, the gentler word used of people. 没 is to die in the formal record — the character beside a date in a biography. 崩 is used only of an emperor's death. Japanese chooses by who died and who is speaking.
Top pick
death, die
Reading: shi
6 strokes · dark, mysterious
Where it comes from
Composed of bone and person. A person reduced to bones - the dead.
What it carries
Death, end, impermanence. Japanese culture has aesthetics of 'falling' beautifully in death.
Related kanji for "die"
die
sei · dark
Composed of advance and break. Advancing broken.
die
botsu · dark
Composed of water and weapon. Sinking into water.
die
hou · dark
Composed of mountain and friend. Mountain crumbling.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Japanese kanji for die?
The most common kanji for "die" is 死, read as shi. It means death, die. Related kanji: 逝 (die), 没 (die), 崩 (die).
How many strokes does 死 have?
死 has 6 strokes.