Definitions

wáng (verb) to die; to perish
wáng (verb) to lose; to be lost
wáng (adjective) gone; deceased

Etymology

Depicts the tip of a knife blade (). Similar in origin to . Based on the original meaning "tip of a blade", now written as . The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

About

The character 亡 is a simple ideogram depicting a person concealed within an enclosure, suggesting absence or hiding. Its original meaning centered on escaping or fleeing danger. Over time, this idea of physical absence evolved into a more absolute sense of loss, coming to signify death and the end of existence. It serves as a key phonetic and semantic component in characters related to loss or lack, such as 忘 (to forget) and 盲 (blind).

Example Sentences Hide

他非常害怕死

Tā fēicháng hàipà sǐwáng.

He is very afraid of death.

是不可避免的。

Sǐwáng shì bùkě bìmiǎn de.

Death is unavoidable.

恐龙已经灭了。

Kǒnglóng yǐjīng mièwáng le.

Dinosaurs have already perished.

罪犯正在逃中。

Zuìfàn zhèngzài táowáng zhōng.

The criminal is fleeing.

战争导致国家灭

Zhànzhēng dǎozhì guójiā mièwáng.

War leads to the perishing of a country.

国的痛苦难以形容。

Wángguó de tòngkǔ nányǐ xíngróng.

The pain of losing a country is indescribable.

传说这座古堡里有魂。

Chuánshuō zhè zuò gǔbǎo lǐ yǒu wánghún.

Legend says there are ghosts in this old castle.

在历史的长河中,许多文明都灭了。

Zài lìshǐ de chánghé zhōng, xǔduō wénmíng dōu mièwáng le.

In the long river of history, many civilizations have perished.