死(し)ぬ

しぬ
verb (godan)
to die
1. to die, to pass away
The basic verb for dying. Can be used for people, animals, or plants. In polite contexts, 亡くなる (nakunaru) is often preferred when speaking about people.
その犬(いぬ)は去年(きょねん)死(し)にました。
That dog died last year.
花(はな)が死(し)んでしまった。
The flower died.
祖父(そふ)は十(じゅう)年(ねん)前(まえ)に死(し)にました。
My grandfather died ten years ago.
In more polite speech, 亡くなりました would be used
魚(さかな)に水(みず)をあげないと死(し)んでしまいますよ。
If you don't give water to the fish, it will die.
私(わたし)の飼(か)っていた猫(ねこ)が先月(せんげつ)死(し)んで、とても悲(かな)しいです。
The cat I was keeping died last month, and I'm very sad.

TRANSITIVITY: 自動詞(じどうし) (intransitive). No pair verb. Pattern: Xが死(し)ぬ (X dies).

ASPECT: ている indicates resulting state. 死(し)んでいる = 'is dead' (state, not process of dying).

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 病気(びょうき)で死(し)ぬ (die of illness)
  • 事故(じこ)で死(し)ぬ (die in an accident)
  • 死(し)にそう (about to die - also used hyperbolically)
  • 死(し)んでしまった (has died - regret)

One of few godan verbs ending in ぬ. Past: 死(し)んだ (not 死(し)にた). Euphemism: 亡(な)くなる (to pass away) - more polite for people.

basic
Added 2026.1.7 21:40 · Revised 2026.2.13 2:51
00500/00669_shinu