死にゆく · godan verb (iku/yuku class)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 死にゆく | 死にゆかない |
| Polite | 死にゆきます | 死にゆきません |
| Past polite | 死にゆきました | 死にゆきませんでした |
| Past | 死にゆった | 死にゆかなかった |
| Te-form | 死にゆって | 死にゆかないで |
| Desire | 死にゆきたい | 死にゆきたくない |
| Potential | 死にゆける | 死にゆけない |
| Passive | 死にゆかれる | 死にゆかれない |
| Causative | 死にゆかせる | 死にゆかせない |
| Causative passive | 死にゆかせられるalso 死にゆかされる | 死にゆかせられないalso 死にゆかされない |
| Volitional | 死にゆこう | |
| Polite volitional | 死にゆきましょう | |
| Imperative | 死にゆけ | 死にゆくな |
| Conditional | 死にゆけば | 死にゆかなければ |
| Tara conditional | 死にゆったら | 死にゆかなかったら |
godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb
be dying; be nearing death
Describes the process of approaching death, often with a literary or emotive feel. The ゆく reading of 行く adds a sense of gradual progression.
He watched over the person who was quietly dying.
The final glow of a dying star.
亡くなる is a polite euphemism for 'to pass away', whereas 死にゆく is more direct and descriptive, often used in narrative or poetic contexts.
Standard modern spelling; the ゆく reading of 行く is common in literary or emotive contexts.
Kanji spelling using 行く; less common than 死にゆく but still encountered.
Uses the kanji 逝く (to pass away), giving a more solemn or euphemistic tone; rare in modern writing.
Compound of 死に (continuative form of 死ぬ 'to die') + ゆく (literary variant of 行く 'to go'), literally 'to go dying'. The ゆく form is an older, often more emotive or literary reading of 行く.