nakusu-vs-nakunaru

亡くす (nakusu) and 亡くなる (nakunaru) are two words that both involve loss and death — but from completely different perspectives. 亡くす means “to lose someone (who has died)” while 亡くなる means “someone passes away.” The difference is who is the subject of the sentence, and in Japanese, getting this right is not just grammatically important — it is also a matter of respect and sensitivity when talking about death. This guide explains both clearly.

Yuka

Rei, my teacher mentioned 亡くす and 亡くなる today. What’s the difference?

Rei

Great question! Both come up a lot in everyday Japanese. The trick is knowing which context calls for which — let me show you!

At a Glance: 亡くす vs. 亡くなる

亡くす (なくす) — To Lose Someone

亡くす (written with the kanji 亡 — death/loss) is a transitive verb. The subject is the person who experiences losing someone, and the object (marked by を) is the person who has died. It expresses grief from the perspective of the one left behind.

Important: There is also 無くす (nakusu — to lose an item, written with the kanji 無 meaning “nothing”). The context and kanji distinguish the two — 亡くす is specifically about losing a person to death.

Example 1 — losing a parent:

父を亡くしたのは5年前だ。
Chichi wo nakushita no wa 5-nen mae da.
It was five years ago that I lost my father.

Example 2 — losing a friend:

親友を亡くして、とても辛かった。
Shinyuu wo nakushite, totemo tsurukatta.
Losing my best friend was extremely painful.

Example 3 — expressing condolences:

大切な人を亡くされたこと、心よりお悔やみ申し上げます。
Taisetsu na hito wo nakusareta koto, kokoro yori okuyami moushiagemasu.
I offer my sincere condolences for the loss of your loved one.

Yuka

I see… so context really matters with 亡くす? It’s not just about the literal meaning?

Rei

Right! Japanese often works that way. 亡くす especially has nuances that go beyond a direct translation — keep that in mind.

亡くなる (なくなる) — To Pass Away

亡くなる is an intransitive verb and a respectful euphemism for dying. In Japanese, 死ぬ (shinu) is the direct word for “to die,” but it can sound blunt or even rude when used about someone else, especially someone you respect or are close to. 亡くなる is the polite, gentle alternative used in most normal social situations.

The subject of 亡くなる is the person who passes away — marked by が or は. There is no object.

Example 1 — grandparent passing:

祖母が先月亡くなりました。
Sobo ga sengetsu nakunarimashita.
My grandmother passed away last month.

Example 2 — news report:

有名な俳優が昨日亡くなった。
Yuumei na haiyuu ga kinou nakunatta.
A famous actor passed away yesterday.

Example 3 — talking about a historical figure:

その作家は1998年に亡くなっている。
Sono sakka wa 1998-nen ni nakunatte iru.
That author passed away in 1998.

Yuka

Got it. And 亡くなる — is that the opposite, or more like a different usage?

Rei

More of a different usage! 亡くなる carries its own feel. Comparing them together like this is actually the fastest way to master both.

死ぬ vs. 亡くなる: When to Use Which

A key related distinction: 死ぬ (shinu — to die) is the plain, direct word for death. 亡くなる is the polite euphemism. Here is a simple guide:

Side-by-Side Comparison

Decision Flowchart: 亡くす or 亡くなる?

You want to talk about death / loss.
        |
        v
Who is the SUBJECT of your sentence?
        |
   _____|_____
   |          |
A PERSON     THE PERSON
who lost     who died
someone
   |          |
   v          v
Use         Use
亡くす       亡くなる
[person]を   [person]が/は
亡くした      亡くなった
(I/he/she    (grandma,
lost ___)    colleague, etc.
             passed away)

Quick Quiz — Test Yourself!

Yuka

I think I’ve finally got it! Let’s take the quiz to be sure.

Rei

Perfect confidence check! Let’s go — you’ve got this!

Choose 亡くした or 亡くなった for each sentence.

Q1. My grandfather passed away three years ago.
祖父は3年前に___。
Sofu wa 3-nen mae ni ___.

Answer: 亡くなった (nakunatta)
Reason: The grandfather (subject) passed away — use 亡くなる.

Q2. She lost her mother when she was very young.
彼女はとても幼い頃にお母さんを___。
Kanojo wa totemo osanai koro ni okaasan wo ___.

Answer: 亡くした (nakushita)
Reason: She (subject) lost her mother — use 亡くす with を.

Q3. The famous singer passed away last year.
有名な歌手が去年___。
Yuumei na kashu ga kyonen ___.

Answer: 亡くなった (nakunatta)
Reason: The singer (subject) passed away — use 亡くなる.

Q4. He lost both his parents in the disaster.
彼は災害で両親を___。
Kare wa saigai de ryoushin wo ___.

Answer: 亡くした (nakushita)
Reason: He (subject) lost his parents — use 亡くす with を.

Q5. The patient passed away this morning.
患者さんが今朝___。
Kanjasan ga kesa ___.

Answer: 亡くなった (nakunatta)
Reason: The patient (subject) passed away — use 亡くなる.

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あわせて読みたい

For a related pair of transitive/intransitive verbs, see our guide on 見つける vs. 見つかる (mitsukeru vs. mitsukaru) — to find vs. to be found:

あわせて読みたい

見つける vs 見つかる (Mitsukeru vs Mitsukaru): Ac... 見つける (mitsukeru) and 見つかる (mitsukaru) both relate to “finding” — but they work oppositely. 見つける is transitive: you find something (を). 見つかる is intransitive: something turns up (が) — or you get caught. Full guide with examples, comparison table, decision flowchart, and quiz.

And for more on transitive/intransitive pairs, explore 残した vs. 残った (nokoshita vs. nokotta):

あわせて読みたい

nokoshita-vs-nokotta 残した (nokoshita) and 残った (nokotta) both come from the verb 残る/残す and both relate to something "remaining." But there is a fundamental grammatical di...