Kilo Lingo

(sǐ wáng) - death, to die in Mandarin

wáng

Traditional: 死亡

Line drawing of 死亡
Coloured illustration of 死亡
HSK 5
#573 of 5,000 Core 1000

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

Stroke order for 死

Stroke order for 亡

Examples

zhèn

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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Mandarin · Free printables

死亡: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "死亡" (death, to die): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

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This word is part of lesson 12.