牲
animal sacrifice, offering
Readings
On'yomi
- セイ
Kun'yomi
—
Meaning
牲 centers on a living creature offered in ritual: an animal sacrifice or ceremonial offering.
Most common words using 牲
- 犠牲ぎせいN1
sacrifice
- 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
- 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
牲 combines 牜 (cow, animal) with 生 (life, living), suggesting a living animal used as a sacrifice.
Meaning mnemonic
A cow 牜 is alive 生, but it is being prepared as an offering. Picture a living animal chosen for a ritual sacrifice.
Reading mnemonic
For セイ, imagine a sacred animal sacrifice being offered to the sun (太陽, たいよう) on a holy day: the sun's rays (セイ) shine down on the offering.