Shi is the Japanese word for 'death', explained (2024)

What does “shi” mean in Japanese?

There are hom*ophones, but native speakers often say “shi” to mean ‘death’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain its definition, meaning, and usages with example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “shi” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “shi”
  • Example #1: how to say “death” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “shi”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “shi”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “shi”.

• shi – 死 (し) : a noun meaning ‘death’ in Japanese.

Native speakers use this noun to refer to the state of being dead in Japanese. So, its usage is similar to that of the English noun, “death”.

The definition and meaning are simple and clear, I think. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “death” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject in the sentence.
• kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
• no – の : a case particle used after a noun or pronoun to make its possessive case. In the example, this is used after “kare” to make its possessive case, “kare no”, which means ‘his’ in Japanese.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “kare no shi” to make the object in the sentence.
• wasure – 忘れ (わすれ) : one conjugation of the verb, “wasureru”, which means ‘to forget’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese nai form. In the example, this is used after “wasure” to deny its meaning, ‘to forget’.

This is a typical usage of “shi”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “kare no shi”, which means ‘his death’ in Japanese.

Example #2: another usage of “shi”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kyou – 今日 (きょう) : a noun meaning ‘today’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb almost anywhere in a sentence. In the example, this works as an adverb to say “today” in Japanese.
• chichi – 父 (ちち) : a noun meaning ‘father’ in Japanese.
• kara – から : a case particle used to say when something starts. In the example, this is used after “chichi no shi” to indicate the beginning of the time period.
• juu – 十 (じゅう) : a numeral meaning ‘ten’ in Japanese.
• nen – 年 (ねん) : a counter for years.
• mukae – 迎え (むかえ) : one conjugation of the verb, “mukaeru”, which means ‘to welcome’, ‘to mark’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “mukae” to make its past tense form, “mukae ta”.

This is another typical usage of “shi”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “chichi no shi” to mean ‘my father’s death’ in Japanese. When we want to refer to the state of being dead in Japanese, anyway, this noun is a very good option.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “shi”. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentence. Let me summarize them as follows.

• shi – 死 (し) : a noun meaning ‘death’ in Japanese. Native speakers use this to refer to the state of being dead in Japanese. So, the usage of this noun is similar to that of the English one, “death”.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.