死

Unlike other hanja for death—such as 沒 (몰), 崩 (붕), 逝 (서)—死 specifically referred to the death of common people in the traditional hierarchical system (존비, 尊卑).

Because of this, it was not used for kings, nobles, or respected figures, for whom more honorific terms were reserved.

死 depicts a skeleton (歹) and originally a weeping person (匕), embodying the raw image of death.

It is built on the radical 歹 (“bone” radical). Almost all characters with this radical (except a few like 殊 [다를 수], 殖 [불릴 식], 殘 [남을 잔]) carry negative or grim meanings (e.g., destruction, injury, decay).

In oracle bone script (甲骨文):

The left side 歹 (뼈 알) depicts a skeleton or bones with bits of flesh still attached.

On the right was originally a person kneeling and weeping by the corpse, marked with 口 (mouth) to show crying out in grief.

Over time:

- 口 (crying mouth) was dropped,

- the kneeling figure simplified into 匕,

- leaving the current form 死.

사망 (死亡) — death

사인 (死因) — cause of death

사후 (死後) — after death

필사 (必死) — inevitable death; desperate

결사 (決死) — resolved to die; to risk one’s life

In hanja culture, the word for “four” (四) is pronounced the same as 死 (“death”) in Chinese, leading to a cultural taboo around the number four (similar to tetraphobia).

In Standard Mandarin Chinese, among all characters pronounced “si,” 死 is the only one with the 3rd tone (sǐ), making its pronunciation distinct and ominous.

In Japanese culture, the reading シ (shi) is avoided because it sounds like “death”.

Despite taboos, 死 remains indispensable in philosophy, religion, medicine, and law.

Related characters:

生 — life

殺 — to kill

殉 — martyrdom (to die for a cause)

葬 — burial

亡 — to perish, disappear

卒 — to die (formal, historical)

魂 / 魄 — soul / spirit

Classical usage:

In Confucian texts, 死 is frequently contrasted with:

生 (life)

義 (righteousness)

A famous ethical tension is expressed as:

生死之際 — “the boundary between life and death”

Confucius emphasizes that moral duty outweighs fear of death.

Daoist writings treat 死 not as annihilation, but as:

- a transformation

- a return

Life and death are viewed as two phases of the same process.

In Buddhist texts, 死 is one of the core realities of existence:

生老病死 — birth, aging, sickness, death

Death is understood as:

- impermanence (無常)

- a condition for rebirth rather than final extinction