亡くなる|なくなるnakunaru[0]heiban (flat)
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Definitions
- godan verb, intransitive verbto die; to pass awayディックは１０歳のときなくなりました。↗Dick died at ten years of age.
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 亡くなる（なくなる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 亡くなります（なくなります） |
| Negative (nai) | 亡くならない（なくならない） |
| polite (masen) | 亡くなりません（なくなりません） |
| classical zu / nu | 亡くならず・亡くならぬ（なくならず・なくならぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 亡くなった（なくなった） |
| polite (mashita) | 亡くなりました（なくなりました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 亡くならなかった（なくならなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 亡くなりませんでした（なくなりませんでした） |
| Te form | 亡くなって（なくなって） |
| Potential | 亡くなれる（なくなれる） |
| Passive | 亡くなられる（なくなられる） |
| Causative | 亡くならせる（なくならせる） |
| Causative passive | 亡くならせられる・亡くならされる（なくならせられる・なくならされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 亡くなれば（なくなれば） |
| tara | 亡くなったら（なくなったら） |
| Volitional | 亡くなろう（なくなろう） |
| polite (mashou) | 亡くなりましょう（なくなりましょう） |
| Imperative | 亡くなれ（なくなれ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Transitive / intransitive pair
家族が亡くなる
亡くなる focuses on the death itself occurring to the person who dies, while 亡くす focuses on the bereaved person's experience of losing someone.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym死亡しぼうWrittenWritten/formal prose. A blunt, clinical term for death, as in 「死亡事故」 or 「死亡届」; used in reports and statistics and carries no sense of respect.
- Synonym死去しきょWrittenWritten/formal prose. Refers to a person's death, as in 「〇〇氏死去」; typical of obituary reports, with a neutral tone.
- Synonym旅立つたびだつWrittenA metaphor: to set off on a journey, or figuratively to pass away, as in 「天国へ旅立つ」; a gentle euphemism.
- Synonym逝去せいきょWrittenWritten/formal prose. A respectful way to speak of someone's death, as in 「ご逝去」; common in obituaries and condolences, more solemn than 「亡くなる」.
- Synonym眠るねむるWrittenA metaphor for eternal rest, as in 「安らかに眠る」; found on gravestones and in eulogies.
- Synonym物故ぶっこWrittenWritten/formal prose. A Sino-Japanese euphemism for death, as in 「物故者名簿」; mostly seen in rosters of organizations.
- Synonym往生おうじょうWrittenA Buddhist term for dying or being reborn in the Pure Land; in speech it also means being stuck, as in 「立ち往生」.
- Synonym成仏じょうぶつWrittenA Buddhist term for becoming a Buddha or resting in peace after death, as in 「成仏してください」.
- Synonym他界たかいWrittenWritten/formal prose. A euphemism for passing to the other world, as in 「昨年他界した」; often seen in obituaries.
- Synonym死ぬしぬNeutralThe most direct word for 'to die', as in 「犬が死ぬ」; 「亡くなる」 is the softer word used for people.
- Synonym死没しぼつWrittenWritten/formal prose. Death as a fact, as in 「死没者」; mostly in war memorials and the like.
- Synonymお隠れになるおかくれになるFormalAn honorific for the death of an exalted person, such as a member of the imperial family; far more respectful than 「亡くなる」.
- Synonym事切れることきれるWrittenWritten/formal prose. To breathe one's last, as in 「病院で事切れた」; focuses on the final moment of dying.
- Synonym絶命ぜつめいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Life being cut off, as in 「その場で絶命した」; highlights the instant life ends.
- Synonym崩御ほうぎょFormalFormal. The death of an emperor, empress, empress dowagers or kings; used for the most exalted figures.
- Synonym薨去こうきょFormalFormal. The death of imperial family members or nobles of the third court rank and above, such as princes; one rank below 「崩御」.
- Synonym卒去しゅっきょFormalFormal. The death of nobles of the fourth and fifth court ranks; a historical term rarely seen today.
- Synonym長逝ちょうせいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Departing this world for good, as in 「長逝を悼む」; mostly in texts of mourning.
- Synonym身罷るみまかるWrittenWritten/formal prose. An archaic, elegant word for passing away, found in classical texts and in solemn narration or fiction.
- Synonymこの世を去るこのよをさるWrittenA euphemism for leaving this world, as in 「若くしてこの世を去る」.
- Synonym死するしするWrittenWritten/formal prose. A literary form of 'to die', as in 「国のために死する」.
- Synonym永逝えいせいWrittenWritten/formal prose. Departing forever; close in sense to 「長逝」, mostly in eulogies.
- Synonym世を去るよをさるWrittenA euphemism for dying that can also mean entering the priesthood or withdrawing from the world; more literary than 「この世を去る」.
- Synonym逝くいくWrittenWritten/formal prose. To pass away, as in 「安らかに逝く」; carries a literary flavor.
- Antonym生きるいきるNeutralThe antonym: to live, as in 「百歳まで生きる」.
- Antonym生まれるうまれるNeutralThe antonym: to be born, as in 「子供が生まれる」.
Default to 「亡くなる」 when speaking politely of a death. 「死ぬ」 is the blunt everyday word. For notices and reports, 「逝去」 is the respectful choice in obituaries, while 「死去」 and 「死亡」 are neutral news and statistical terms. Gentle euphemisms include 「他界」, 「この世を去る」 and 「旅立つ」. For the imperial family, use 「崩御」 or 「薨去」. Buddhist contexts favor 「往生」 and 「成仏」. The opposite of dying is 「生きる」, to live.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
