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亡い (ない) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
i-adjective
dead ; deceased
Used to state that someone is no longer alive. Often appears in the past tense 亡かった or in set phrases like 亡き人. The kanji 亡 specifically conveys death, unlike 無い which means 'nonexistent'.
See also: 無い
い
出だ
す
。
I remember my late mother.
Kanji 亡 deceased, the late, dying Similar words 無な い 無い is the general adjective for 'nonexistent' or 'not present'. 亡い is specifically for 'dead' and uses a different kanji to avoid ambiguity.
死し ぬ 死ぬ is the common verb 'to die'. 亡い is an adjective describing the state of being dead, often with a slightly formal or literary tone.
Etymology The reading ない is shared with the negative adjective 無い, but the kanji 亡 is used specifically for the meaning 'dead'. The historical derivation is uncertain, but the form is established in literary and formal contexts.
