ChiramiN4 kanji · 6 strokes
死 means death, die
死
歹 bones · 匕 a bowed person
死Memory trick
Bones (歹) beside a person bowing their head (匕): death.
Memory trick: a picture to help you remember the kanji, not its history.
Meaning and readings
- Meanings
- death, die
- JLPT level
- N4
- Strokes
- 6
- School grade
- Grade 3 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) しぬ shinu
しぬ (shinu) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
From Chinese (onyomi) シ shi
シ (shi) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
死ぬ しぬ · shinu
to die, to pass away
Built from
Tap a part to see the N5 and N4 kanji that use it.
夕 Used in 20 kanji
See all 5 at N5 and N4匕 Used in 56 kanji
See all 5 at N5 and N4Quick check
What does 死 mean?
Right: 死 means death, die.Not quite: 死 means death, die.In 死ぬ, which reading does 死 use?
Right. 死ぬ is read しぬ (shinu): 死 takes し, its Japanese reading, with ぬ after it.Not quite. 死ぬ is read しぬ (shinu): 死 takes し, its Japanese reading, with ぬ after it.