死
death · die
Details
Description
Death - ending, mortality, transformation.
Stroke Order
Component Breakdown
Death/bone + spoon
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of bone and person. A person reduced to bones - the dead.
Symbolism
Death, end, impermanence. Japanese culture has aesthetics of 'falling' beautifully in death.
Spiritual Meaning
Represents end of body and souls departure, transition to next world in Japanese view of life and death.
Anime & Manga
DEATH NOTE
ですのーと
Death Note(2006)
Suspense about a notebook that kills those whose names are written
View on Amazon →進撃の巨人
しんげきのきょじん
Attack on Titan(2013)
Dark fantasy depicting battles alongside death
View on Amazon →Games
ダークソウル
Dark Souls(2011)
Iconic 'die and retry' game where death is part of gameplay
View on Amazon →エルデンリング
Elden Ring(2022)
FromSoftware's latest where you grow through repeated deaths
View on Amazon →Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
一死報国
いっしほうこく
dying for one's country; dying for one's country
起死回生
きしかいせい
revival from the brink of death; recovering from a hopeless situation; resuscitation; revival from the brink of death
九死一生
きゅうしいっしょう
narrow escape from the jaw of death; narrow escape from the jaw of death
酔生夢死
すいせいむし
idling one's life away; living to no purpose; idling one's life away
半死半生
はんしはんしょう
all but dead; half killed; all but dead
不老不死
ふろうふし
perpetual youth and longevity; immortality; perpetual youth and longevity
死屍累々
ししるいるい
heaps of corpses all around; heaps of corpses all around
死中求活
しちゅうきゅうかつ
finding a way out of a potentially fatal situation; seeking a way out of a desperate situation; finding a way out of a potentially fatal situation
生死流転
しょうじるてん
all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth; the circle of transmigration; all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth
生老病死
しょうろうびょうし
the four inevitables in human life (birth, aging, sickness, and death); the four inevitables in human life (birth, aging, sickness, and death)
万死一生
ばんしいっしょう
advancing in the face of death; having a narrow escape from the jaw of death; advancing in the face of death
大死一番
だいしいちばん
exerting oneself to the utmost, prepared to die if necessary; exerting oneself to the utmost, prepared to die if necessary
十死一生
じっしいっしょう
narrow escape from the jaws of death; there being barely a chance of escaping death; narrow escape from the jaws of death
枯木死灰
こぼくしかい
withered trees and cold ash; someone who is detached and free of desires; someone who has no vitality; withered trees and cold ash
多産多死
たさんたし
high birth rate and high mortality rate; high birth rate and high mortality rate
少産少死
しょうさんしょうし
low birth rate and low mortality rate; low birth rate and low mortality rate
生死一如
しょうじいちにょ
Life and death are one; Life and death are fundamentally the same
Proverbs & Idioms
死せる孔明、生ける仲達を走らす
しせるこうめい、いけるちゅうたつをはしらす
Dead Kongming makes living Zhongda flee
Even after death, a great person's influence continues
死人に口なし
しにんにくちなし
Dead men tell no tales
The dead cannot speak to defend themselves