犠
sacrifice
Readings
On'yomi
- ギ
- キ
Kun'yomi
- いけにえ
Meaning
犠 centers on offering something valuable, especially an animal, for a higher purpose: sacrifice. The meaning extends naturally to the idea of giving up something important.
Most common words using 犠
- 犠牲ぎせいN1
sacrifice
- 犠打ぎだ
sacrifice (bunt or fly)
- 犠飛ぎひ
sacrifice fly
- 犠牲者ぎせいしゃ
victim (esp. someone killed); casualty
- どんな犠牲を払ってもどんなぎせいをはらっても
at all costs; whatever the price; would give anything
- 供犠くぎ
sacrifice; sacrificial animal
- 原爆犠牲者げんばくぎせいしゃ
atomic bomb victim
- 戦争犠牲者せんそうぎせいしゃ
war victim
- 戦闘犠牲者せんとうぎせいしゃ
casualty
- 犠牛ぎぎゅう
sacrificial bullock
- 犠牲になるぎせいになる
to be sacrificed; to become a victim (of); to fall victim (to); to lose one's life
- 犠牲を払うぎせいをはらう
to make sacrifices for; to pay dearly for
- 犠牲バントぎせいバント
sacrifice bunt
- 犠牲フライぎせいフライ
sacrifice fly
- 犠牲打ぎせいだ
sacrifice (bunt or fly)
- 犠牲的ぎせいてき
self-sacrificing
- 犠牲者が出るぎせいしゃがでる
to claim victims; to leave casualties
- 犠牲者を出すぎせいしゃをだす
to claim victims; to cause casualties
- 自己犠牲じこぎせい
self-sacrifice; self-renunciation
Study
Etymology
犠 is the modern simplified form of 犧. The older form combines 牛 (cow) with 義, which likely contributed the sound and the idea of righteousness or proper conduct, suggesting a proper ritual animal sacrifice.
Meaning mnemonic
A cow 牛 stands beside 義, a shape associated with righteousness. Picture a righteous ceremony where a cow is offered as a sacrifice.
Reading mnemonic
For ギ, imagine a sacrificial ceremony where the key item is a giant ghee lamp: ghee -> ギ, and the cow's ghee is offered in sacrifice.