Differences between 死ぬ{しぬ}, 他界する{たかいする} and 亡くなる{なくなる}?


What are the differences between 死ぬ{しぬ}, 他界する{たかいする} and 亡くなる{なくなる}?




From my personal experience,

**「亡くなる」** is the most neutral word.

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    「先生のお父さんはがんで亡くなられたよ」 - "Our teacher's father died from cancer"
    
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**「死ぬ」** is a strong word that is usually avoided by polite people, but is
used to express emphasis or to deliberately offend. It can also be used to
talk about animals.

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    「勝手に死ね！」 - Literally, "Die on your own!", but is very strong and rude.
    「あのセミが死んでいるよ」 - "That cicada is dead"
    
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**「他界する」** is a polite word (often used on television) to express the idea
that someone has "left this world".

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    「美紀ちゃんは13才という若さで他界した」 - "Miki-chan passed away at the tender age of 13"
    
[/code]

