去世了
qu shi le
In Chinese, 去世了 (qu shi le) is the phrase for passed away.
去世了 is used as a polite euphemism to express that someone has died.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 去世 is composed of 去 (to leave/go) and 世 (world/generation), literally meaning "to leave the world".
Which one should you use?
While 去世了 is a polite euphemism, the term 死了 is the blunt and direct way to say someone died, which can be considered insensitive in formal or grieving contexts. For a highly formal and respectful way to say passed away, you can use 逝世.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
去世 is a formal term. In more formal settings, 逝世 is also used to express the concept of passing away. In casual conversation, people sometimes use the informal euphemism 走了 to mean someone has passed away.
How do you pronounce it?
qu shi le
Did you know?
- Using the blunt term 死了 can be seen as a 'curse' or bad luck if said about a living person, as it might invite death upon them.
- In Chinese culture, it is common to avoid saying 去世了 or 'died' directly when speaking to the bereaved, instead using vague phrases like 他不在了 meaning 'he is no longer here'.
- When discussing the death of a family member in a formal setting, Chinese speakers may use specific terms based on the relative, such as 仙逝 for an elder to imply they have become an immortal.
Examples in context
- 他父亲去世了。His father passed away.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone's father has passed away.Tatoeba #8089863 by GlossaMatik, translation #8171882 by CH
- 汤姆在昨晚去世了。Tom passed away last night.This sentence is useful for stating that someone passed away last night.Tatoeba #6321886 by yuiyu, translation #1093151 by CK
- 老人今天早上去世了。The old man passed away this morning.This sentence is useful for noting that an old man passed away this morning.Tatoeba #6103074 by verdastelo9604, translation #326444 by CK
- 我很遗憾地告诉你，他的祖父在昨天逝世了。I'm sorry to inform you that his grandfather passed away yesterday.
- 我听说她昨晚去世了，我非常难过。I heard she passed away last night, I am deeply saddened.
- 她的外婆上个月过世了，她非常伤心。Her grandmother passed away last month, she is very saddened.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a mutual acquaintance's news.
- 梓涵 Zihan你听说了吗？李爷爷去世了。Nǐ tīngshuō le ma? Lǐ yéye qùshì le.Did you hear? Grandpa Li passed away.
- 浩然 Haoran真的吗？真是太遗憾了。Zhēn de ma? Zhēn shì tài yíhàn le.Really? That is such a pity.
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，他的家人现在很难过。Shì de, tā de jiārén xiànzài hěn nánguò.Yes, his family is very sad right now.
- 浩然 Haoran希望他们能挺过去。Xīwàng tāmen néng tǐng guòqù.I hope they can get through this.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
