Languages › Japanese Shinu Print Flashpop/Getty Images Japanese Essential Japanese Vocabulary History & Culture Japanese Grammar By Namiko Abe Namiko Abe Japanese Language Expert B.A., Kwansei Gakuin University Namiko Abe is a Japanese language teacher and translator, as well as a Japanese calligraphy expert. She has been a freelance writer for nearly 20 years. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on June 14, 2017 The Japanese word shinu, pronounced "she-noo", is a common verb which translated means "to die", "to pass away", or "to expire". Japanese Characters 死ぬ (しぬ) Example Kanojo wa toshi wakakushite shinde shimatta.彼女は年若くして死んでしまった。 Translation: She died young. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Abe, Namiko. "Shinu." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/shinu-meaning-and-characters-2028584. Abe, Namiko. (2020, August 27). Shinu. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/shinu-meaning-and-characters-2028584 Abe, Namiko. "Shinu." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/shinu-meaning-and-characters-2028584 (accessed April 20, 2024). copy citation