逝世

• Pinyin: shì shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 逝 = 辶 + 折 (to pass away — to depart on a final journey; 折 suggests breaking off); 世 = three horizontal strokes connected (三十年为一世 — three decades form one generation/life)

Meaning

To pass away; to die. A respectful, formal expression used to report or describe the death of a person of standing or significance.

A dignified, written-register term for death — used in obituaries, biographies, official announcements, and memorial contexts. Applied to any person whose passing merits respectful mention, including public figures, elderly relatives, and revered individuals. Common collocations: 不幸逝世 (to pass away unfortunately), 因病逝世 (to pass away due to illness), 英年早逝 (to die young — lit. to pass away in the prime of a heroic life). Contrast: 去世 (to pass away — slightly less formal, broader use), 死亡 (death — clinical/neutral), 牺牲 (to sacrifice one's life — for those who died for a cause).

Examples

1. 这位杰出的建筑大师以九十一岁高龄逝世，身后留下了数十座遍布世界各大洲的标志性建筑作品，成为后世建筑师取之不尽的灵感源泉。 The distinguished master architect passed away at the age of 91, leaving behind dozens of landmark buildings across the world's continents and an inexhaustible source of inspiration for future architects.
2. 他的恩师于壮年英年早逝，却在短暂的执教生涯中深刻影响了整整一代学者的治学态度与人生取向，其精神遗产至今仍在学术界熠熠生辉。 His mentor died young in the prime of life, yet profoundly shaped an entire generation of scholars through a short teaching career; that spiritual legacy still shines brightly in academia today.
3. 据报道，这位享誉国际的文学家在完成最后一部长篇小说的校对工作数日后便不幸逝世，其未竟的研究笔记由后继学者整理出版。 According to reports, the internationally renowned writer passed away only days after finishing the proofreading of a final novel; his unfinished research notes are being organized and published by later scholars.

Usage Guide

Context: obituary, biography, news, memorial, academic

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 著名物理学家某某先生昨夜在京因病逝世，享年七十八岁。(The renowned physicist Mr. X passed away in Beijing last night due to illness at the age of seventy-eight.)
• 抗战期间，无数革命先辈为民族独立和人民解放事业英勇战斗、壮烈逝世，我们今天所享有的和平生活正是建立在他们无私牺牲的基础之上。(During the War of Resistance, countless revolutionary forebears fought bravely and passed away heroically for the cause of national independence and the liberation of the people; the peaceful lives we enjoy today are built upon the foundation of their selfless sacrifice.)

Don't Say

• 逝世 in informal or casual conversation about death — use 去世 (to pass away — less formal but still respectful) or 走了 (colloquial: 'has gone'); 逝世 belongs firmly to formal written registers such as news reports, biographies, and commemorative speeches, and sounds stilted in everyday speech

Origin & History

逝 (to pass away, to elapse — 辶 movement + 折 to depart, break away) + 世 (this life, the world — three generations, an era)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal