Translation guide
The English word "departed" can refer to someone who has died or to the act of leaving. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for both meanings, from formal euphemisms to everyday phrases.
Referring to someone who has died, often in a respectful or euphemistic way.
Standard, respectful term for a deceased person, used in formal contexts like funerals or when speaking about someone who has passed away.
I pray for the departed's soul.
A polite and common way to say "the person who passed away." More conversational than 故人.
Literally "the dead" or "deceased person." More direct and less euphemistic; used in news or factual contexts.
Describing someone who has left or gone away from a location.
Do not use 去った (left) to mean "departed" in the sense of death. It sounds like the person simply walked away and is not a euphemism for dying.
I express my condolences to the family of the departed.
There were three departed in the accident.
He has already departed.
Past tense of 去る (to leave). Implies leaving a place, sometimes with a sense of finality.
She departed quietly.
Past tense of 発つ (to depart), often used for trains, planes, or people starting a trip. More common in written or formal announcements.
The train departed on time.