亡
Deceased
| on’yomi | kun’yomi | Radicals |
|---|---|---|
| ぼう | なく | 亡 |
Meaning: Deceased
The meaning of the radical death and the kanji deceased are pretty similar which should make it easier to remember the meaning of this kanji.
It’s not just death though, it’s a more polite version of the word death. You know how you say “he’s deceased” instead of “he’s dead” because it sounds nicer? It’s kind of like that.
Reading: ぼう
When you think of deceased people, and possibly hanging out with deceased people, you can’t help but think that they really are pretty boring.
Imagine yourself sitting with a deceased person. Are you having fun? Probably not. Feel the boredom. Take out your phone to do something, only to realize you’ve done everything there is to do on your phone. So boring. So, so boring… ugh.
Vocabulary
Only one vocabulary word to learn for this kanji – more coming as you learn other kanji.
a 亡くなる（なくなる）＝ To die
- Combo: 亡く (deceased) + なる (to become)
- Meaning: 亡く (to decease, though that doesn’t make too much sense in English) and なる (to become) are verbs. This essentially means “to become to decease.” A simpler way of saying that is “To die,” though it tends to be a more polite way to say it.
- Reading: It’s two words put together. 亡く can be like “knock” (なく) on death’s door, and なる is just なる.