Japanese · Insults
死ね
shine
SHEE-neh · /ɕine/
Drop dead / go die
aimed at a person, will start something
Literally
"die (imperative)"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
A bare imperative "die." It looks nuclear on paper, and to an adult it is genuinely ugly — but anime, games, and schoolyard/online culture have worn it down so that kids and gamers fling it fairly casually ("mou shine!" — ugh, just die). Anime-vs-reality flag: learners assume this is normal adult speech; a grown professional who says it to your face has crossed a serious line. The older, rougher synonym is kutabare.
Heard in the wild
うざい、もう死ね。
You're the worst, just drop dead.
Where it lands
Nationwide; heaviest online and among youth
Quick answers
- What does "死ね" mean?
- In Japanese, "死ね" means "Drop dead / go die". Literally it's "die (imperative)". A bare imperative "die." It looks nuclear on paper, and to an adult it is genuinely ugly — but anime, games, and schoolyard/online culture have worn it down so that kids and gamers fling it fairly casually ("mou shine!" — ugh, just die). Anime-vs-reality flag: learners assume this is normal adult speech; a grown professional who says it to your face has crossed a serious line. The older, rougher synonym is kutabare.
- Is "死ね" offensive?
- Yes — very. It rates 4/5 on the Punch-o-Meter (Fighting words). aimed at a person, will start something. Read the usage note before you even think about it.
- How do you pronounce "死ね"?
- Say it "SHEE-neh" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: ɕine.
Related in Japanese
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "Get lost".
- French Casse-toi, pauvre con ! Get lost, you pathetic idiot
- German Hau ab! Get lost! / Clear off! / Beat it!
- Greek άντε γαμήσου Go fuck yourself / get lost / piss off.
- Italian Vaffanculo! Fuck off! / Go to hell!
- Korean 꺼져 Get lost / piss off — you're telling a human to power down.
- Polish spierdalaj Fuck off / piss off.
- Portuguese Vagabundo Bum / lowlife / good-for-nothing (f. 'vagabunda' = slut)
- Russian Иди в баню! Get lost! / Buzz off! (gentle)
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