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道Nihongo Path
牲

牲·animal sacrifice, offering

On-yomi
せい
Kun-yomi
none

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
犠牲ぎせいsacrifice
犠牲者ぎせいしゃvictim, casualty
犠牲的ぎせいてきself-sacrificing
自己犠牲じこぎせいself-sacrifice

Example sentences

  1. 台風の犠牲者を悼む式が開かれた。

    たいふうのぎせいしゃをいたむしきがひらかれた。

    A ceremony was held to mourn the victims of the typhoon.

  2. 睡眠時間を犠牲にして勉強した。

    すいみんじかんをぎせいにしてべんきょうした。

    I studied at the cost of my sleep.

  3. 彼の犠牲的な行動に皆が感動した。

    かれのぎせいてきなこうどうにみながかんどうした。

    Everyone was moved by his self-sacrificing act.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Writing 犠牲 as 犠性 — this character takes the ox radical, not 忄
  • Trying to use 牲 by itself; in practice it appears only in 犠牲 and its derivatives

Memory aid

Picture it

Ox 牛 plus 生 'life': the living animal offered up — the second half of the pair 犠牲.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 牲 mean?