逝いく

also: ゆく

い

く

Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (iku/yuku class), intransitive verb

Euphemistic or literary expression for dying, often used in formal or poetic contexts. The kanji 逝 carries a nuance of departing this world. Compare with 死ぬ (plain 'to die') and 亡くなる (polite 'to pass away').

Written forms

逝くUsage100%
- いく
  Standard kanji spelling for the euphemistic 'to die' sense. The reading ゆく is also possible but less common.
- ゆく
ゆく
Alternate reading; more literary or old-fashioned. The kanji form 逝く can also be read as ゆく.

Kanji

逝departed, die

Similar words

死しぬ
Plain and direct word for 'to die'. 逝く is more euphemistic and literary.
亡なくなる
Polite and common euphemism for 'to pass away'. 逝く is more formal or poetic.
行いく
Homophonous verb meaning 'to go'. 逝く is a specialized kanji for the 'die' sense, while 行く is the general 'go'.

Etymology

The verb 逝く is a specialized use of 行く (iku/yuku, 'to go'), with the kanji 逝 meaning 'to pass away' or 'to depart'. The reading ゆく is an older, more literary variant of いく.