犠
犠·sacrifice
- On-yomi
- ぎき
- Kun-yomi
- いけにえ
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 犠牲 | ぎせい | sacrifice |
| 犠牲者 | ぎせいしゃ | victim, casualty |
| 自己犠牲 | じこぎせい | self-sacrifice |
| 犠牲になる | ぎせいになる | to fall victim, to be sacrificed |
Example sentences
事故の犠牲者は三人だった。
じこのぎせいしゃはさんにんだった。
There were three victims of the accident.
彼は家族のために自分の夢を犠牲にした。
かれはかぞくのためにじぶんのゆめをぎせいにした。
He sacrificed his own dream for his family.
多くの犠牲を払って得た成果だ。
おおくのぎせいをはらってえたせいかだ。
It is a result obtained at great sacrifice.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- Using 犠牲者 for any victim — for fraud or theft Japanese prefers 被害者; 犠牲者 suggests loss of life
- Writing 犠牲 as 犠性 — the second character takes the ox radical
Memory aid
Picture it
The ox radical on the left: the animal led up to the altar. The character now survives almost entirely inside the pair 犠牲.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5
What does the kanji 犠 mean?