How to say "Death" in Japanese | 死

If you are wondering what's the Japanese word for "Death" you've come to the right place!

the Japanese word for "Death" is "Shi", written in japanese as "死".

Here's a more detailed explanation:

The Japanese noun '死 (し)' means 'death'. It refers to the end of life, the cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. This word is often used in serious or somber contexts, such as discussions about mortality, loss, or existential topics. For example: the death of a loved one「愛する人の死」(あいするひとのし). He faced death bravely「彼は勇敢に死と向き合った」(かれはゆうかんにしとむきあった). The concept of death is universal, but in Japanese culture, it often carries additional layers of meaning, such as respect for ancestors and the impermanence of life.

The Kanji are characters that represent meanings. As you can see, this word is made up of 1 Kanji:

The kanji "死" means "Death" and can be read as "Shi" and "Shi"

Now, let's make sure you understand this word the other way around too.

What does "Shi" mean in japanese?

"Shi" means "Death" .

To learn more about the kanji in this word, checkout this pages:

To make really sure you learn this word, We've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this word and of the characters that comprise it.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "し" is read as "shi"

About kanji, you need to know that most Kanji have two types of readings: Kunyomi, based on native japanese pronunciation. And onyomi, based on chinese pronunciation.