死

Meaning

Death, die · muerte, morir

Readings

• On (音読み): シ
• Kun (訓読み): し.ぬ

Example words

• 死ぬ（しぬ）— to die
• 死（し）— death
• 必死（ひっし）— desperate; frantic

Structure

Radical 歹 (がつへん・いちたへん · Death, decay) · 6 strokes · school grade 3

Watch out

死ぬ is the only verb in modern Japanese ending in ぬ (godan: 死んで, 死んだ). It is blunt like morir — for people say 亡くなる (fallecer). The number 4 (し) is skipped in hospitals and hotels because it sounds like 死.