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道Nihongo Path
死

死·die

On-yomi
シ
Kun-yomi
し(ぬ)

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

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

6 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
死ぬしぬto die
死者ししゃthe dead, casualties
必死ひっしdesperate, frantic
死体したいcorpse

Example sentences

  1. その犬は去年死にました。

    そのいぬはきょねんしにました。

    That dog died last year.

  2. みんな必死に走りました。

    みんなひっしにはしりました。

    Everyone ran for all they were worth.

  3. この魚はもう死んでいます。

    このさかなはもうしんでいます。

    This fish is already dead.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Saying 死にました about someone's family member; 亡くなりました is the polite word for people.

Memory aid

Picture it

歹 (bare bones) on the left with a bent figure kneeling beside them — mourning at the remains.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 死 mean?