Japanese symbol for “dead”
死者
ししゃ
Romaji: shisha
dead person; (the) deceased; (the) dead; casualties
In Japanese, dead is 死者, read ししゃ (shisha).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n dead person; (the) deceased; (the) dead; casualties
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “dead”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 亡者 | もうじゃ mouja | the dead; ghost |
| デッド | デッド deddo | dead (money, stock, etc.) |
| 仏 | ほとけ hotoke | the dead; dead person; departed soul |
| 亡き | なき naki | deceased; late; dead |
| 死に | しに shini | dead; useless |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 死亡 | しぼう shibou | death; dying; mortality |
| 必死 | ひっし hisshi | frantic; frenetic; desperate |
| 死刑 | しけい shikei | death penalty; capital punishment |
| 死体 | したい shitai | dead body; corpse; cadaver |
| 死去 | しきょ shikyo | death; decease; passing away |
| 患者 | かんじゃ kanja | patient |
| 記者 | きしゃ kisha | reporter; journalist |
| 業者 | ぎょうしゃ gyousha | trader; dealer; businessperson |
See also: Chinese symbol for “dead”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.