死 means “death”

しぬ · shinu

Also: die

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

しぬ, しに-

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シ

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 3 · 6 strokes

The story

A person kneeling beside bare bones: mourning drawn four thousand years ago. Japan still sidesteps its number: hospitals skip room 4, because 四 can be read し, the same sound as 死.

Used in 死ぬ (shinu, to die), 必死 (hisshi, desperate/frantic), and 死亡 (shibou, death)

More from Healing & Spirit

• 病 illness
• 医 doctor
• 悪 bad
• 薬 medicine
• 弱 weak
• 気 spirit
• 元 origin

Learn 死 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.