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.
A polite and common way to say "the person who passed away." More conversational than 故人.
亡くなった方のご家族に哀悼の意を表します。
I express my condolences to the family of the departed.
Literally "the dead" or "deceased person." More direct and less euphemistic; used in news or factual contexts.
事故の死者は3名でした。
There were three departed in the accident.
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 pray for the departed's soul.
彼女は静かに去った。
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.
列車は定刻に発った。
The train departed on time.