臨終(りんじゅう)

臨(りん) (to face, to be present at) + 終(じゅう) (end). A solemn word describing the moment of approaching death. Originally a Buddhist term referring to the final moments before entering the next life.

Common collocations

• 臨終(りんじゅう)に立(た)ち会(あ)う: be present at someone's deathbed
• 臨終(りんじゅう)を迎(むか)える: face one's final moments
• 臨終(りんじゅう)を告(つ)げる: announce someone's passing
• 臨終(りんじゅう)の言葉(ことば): last words
• 臨終(りんじゅう)に間(ま)に合(あ)う: make it in time for someone's final moments

Similar words

• 最期(さいご): one's final moments, death — more literary and emotional
• 死(し)に際(ぎわ): the verge of death — emphasizes the boundary between life and death
• 往生(おうじょう): passing away (Buddhist) — implies a peaceful death and rebirth in paradise

Usage

A formal and respectful word. Commonly heard in hospital settings when a doctor informs family members of a patient's passing. The phrase 臨終(りんじゅう)に立(た)ち会(あ)う (to be present at someone's deathbed) is considered important in Japanese culture.