Back to dictionary
JLPT N112画 · 12 strokesradical 土freq #2087

degenerate, descend to, lapse into

On'yomi (音読み)

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • お.ちる
  • くず.す
  • くず.れる

Mnemonic

As the earth (土) crumbled, it became a sight of degeneration, descending into a pit of debris, symbolizing a lapse into chaos.

About this kanji

The kanji 「堕」 primarily means to degenerate or to descend into a lower state. It often appears in nouns and verbs, indicating a decline or fall. For example, the compound 堕落 (だらく) means depravity, reflecting a moral decline. Another common compound is 堕胎 (だたい), which refers to abortion, implying the loss of life. Additionally, 堕す (だす) is a verb that means to degenerate. This kanji has a negative connotation and is used when discussing situations involving moral or physical deterioration. When learning this kanji, be mindful of its seriousness and the weight of the topics it can convey.

Example sentences

  • 彼は堕落してしまった。

    He has fallen into depravity.

Meanings across languages

English
degenerate, descend to, lapse into
Tiếng Việt
đê hèn, rơi vào, suy sụp
日本語
堕落, 降りる, 陥る
한국어
퇴화하다, 강등하다, 타락하다
中文
堕落, 下降, 沉沦
id
menjadi jahat, turun ke, jatuh ke
th
เสื่อมลง, ตกต่ำถึง, สูญสิ้นไป
es
degenerar, descender a, caer en
fr
dégrader, descendre vers, tomber dans
de
degenerieren, absinken, verfallen
pt
degenerar, descer para, cair em

Common compounds

  • 堕落だらくdepravity, corruption, degradation
  • 堕胎だたいabortion, feticide
  • 堕罪だざいsinking into sin
  • 堕すだすto degenerate, to lapse into
  • 堕獄だごくgoing to hell, falling into hell
  • 落堕らくだmarrying (of a monk), returning to secular life (of a monk)
  • 自堕落じだらくself-indulgent, undisciplined, slovenly
  • 堕するだするto degenerate, to lapse into

Want to actually learn this kanji?

The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.