(sǐ wáng) - death, to die in Mandarin
sǐwángTraditional: 死亡
Translation
death, to die
Word origin
A compound of 死 (sǐ) 'to die' and 亡 (wáng) 'to perish, to be lost'. 死 shows a figure beside bare bones (歹); 亡 is an early graph for fleeing or perishing. Together they mean death.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 死 (sǐ, to die: 歹 bones + 匕 figure) + 亡 (wáng, to perish)
Stroke order
死
亡
Examples
震。
His death shocked everyone.
。
We must face the reality of death.
。
Death is a part of life.
。
The accident caused three deaths.
。
The doctor was racing against death.
死亡 (sǐ wáng) is the formal, neutral word for death. 死 means to die (also used colloquially: 我饿死了, I'm starving) and 亡 means to perish or be lost. Together they form the literary and official term used in medical, legal, and formal contexts. In everyday speech 死 alone or 去世 (qù shì, to pass away, respectful) are more common. 死亡率 (death rate) and 死亡原因 (cause of death) are common compounds.
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Go to my review queueThis word is part of lesson 12.