Meaning
遺 centers on one idea: something left behind. Its core meanings — to leave behind, to bequeath, remaining, to lose, to omit — all describe things that persist after a person departs. That departure might come through death, the passing of generations, or simply an act of forgetting. The character appears most often in formal, legal, and literary contexts.
遺 is built from two parts. The outer element is 辶 (しんにょう), the movement radical associated with roads and passage. The inner component is 貴 (たっとい), meaning precious or valuable. The image is direct: something precious left along the road of life. 辶 suggests moving forward; 貴 is what stays.
In modern Japanese, 遺 spans several fields. Law uses it for wills and estates. Archaeology reaches for it when naming ruins and artifacts. Biology uses it for genetic inheritance. Obituaries and condolence letters use it to mark a person's legacy. At 15 strokes and Jōyō Grade 8, it sits firmly in N1 territory — and it is vocabulary you will encounter often enough to prioritize.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
遺 has two on'yomi: イ (i) and ユイ (yui). イ is the common reading, appearing across everyday and academic vocabulary for inheritance, ruins, genetics, and regret. ユイ is rare and formal, limited to a small set of phrases with a classical tone.
- 遺産 (isan) — inheritance, legacy, heritage
- 遺跡 (iseki) — ruins, historical remains, archaeological site
- 遺体 (itai) — the remains of a deceased person
- 遺族 (izoku) — bereaved family; surviving relatives
- 遺伝 (iden) — heredity; biological passing of traits between generations
- 遺憾 (ikan) — deep regret or disappointment (used in formal, official statements)
ユイ is worth memorizing for just two compounds. Both carry a ceremonial weight absent from most everyday Japanese.
- 遺言 (yuigon) — last will and testament (also read いごん in certain legal contexts)
- 遺訓 (yuikun) — posthumous teachings or moral precepts left by the deceased
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi is のこ.す (nokosu), a transitive verb meaning to leave behind or to bequeath. It looks identical to the more common 残す (のこす), but the nuance differs. 遺す carries emotional weight — it is used when something is left because of death or a final parting. 残す is neutral and applies broadly to any situation where something remains.
- 遺す (nokosu) — to leave behind, to bequeath (especially at death or final parting)
- 遺し書き (nokoshigaki) — a written note or message left behind for someone
Common Words & Compounds
Grouped by theme, these compounds show how 遺 moves across different contexts.
Legacy & Inheritance:
- 遺産 (isan) — inheritance, legacy, heritage (e.g., 世界遺産 = UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- 遺言 (yuigon) — last will and testament
- 遺志 (ishi) — the wishes left behind by the deceased
- 遺品 (ihin) — personal belongings left behind by a deceased person
- 遺作 (isaku) — a posthumous work; art or writing completed before the creator's death
Physical Remains & History:
- 遺跡 (iseki) — ruins, archaeological site
- 遺物 (ibutsu) — relic, artifact from the past
- 遺体 (itai) — the physical remains of a deceased person
- 遺骨 (ikotsu) — cremated ashes; the bones of the deceased
- 遺留品 (iryūhin) — articles left behind (at a crime scene or after a death)
Science & Genetics:
- 遺伝 (iden) — heredity; biological transmission of traits between generations
- 遺伝子 (idenshi) — gene
- 遺伝的 (identeki) — genetic, hereditary
Emotion & Formal Expression:
- 遺憾 (ikan) — deep regret, strong disappointment (formal; used in official statements and diplomacy)
- 遺族 (izoku) — bereaved family members left behind after a death
Example Sentences
彼は子供たちに大きな遺産を遺した。
Kare wa kodomo-tachi ni ōkina isan wo nokoshita.
He left his children a large inheritance.
この地域には古代ローマの遺跡が多くある。
Kono chiiki ni wa kodai Rōma no iseki ga ōku aru.
This area has many ancient Roman ruins.
祖父は亡くなる前に遺言を弁護士に預けた。
Sofu wa nakunaru mae ni yuigon wo bengoshi ni azuketa.
My grandfather left his will with a lawyer before he passed away.
目の色は遺伝によって決まることが多い。
Me no iro wa iden ni yotte kimaru koto ga ōi.
Eye color is often determined by genetics.
遺族の方々に深くお悔やみを申し上げます。
Izoku no katagata ni fukaku okuyami wo mōshiagemasu.
I offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved family.
この神社は世界遺産に登録されている。
Kono jinja wa sekai isan ni tōroku sarete iru.
This shrine is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
科学者たちはその病気に関係する遺伝子を特定した。
Kagakusha-tachi wa sono byōki ni kankei suru idenshi wo tokutei shita.
The scientists identified the genes linked to that disease.
政府はその決定を遺憾に思うと声明を発表した。
Seifu wa sono kettei wo ikan ni omou to seimei wo happyō shita.
The government issued a statement expressing deep regret over that decision.
彼女は亡き画家の遺品を大切に保管している。
Kanojo wa naki gaka no ihin wo taisetsu ni hokan shite iru.
She carefully keeps the belongings left behind by the late artist.
発掘調査によって縄文時代の遺物が発見された。
Hakkutsu chōsa ni yotte Jōmon jidai no ibutsu ga hakken sareta.
Artifacts from the Jōmon period were discovered during excavation.
Memory Tip
Picture a winding road — that is 辶, the movement radical wrapped around the outside of the character. At a bend in the road, a traveler has left a treasure chest and walked on. The chest is 貴 (precious), sitting at the center of 遺. The traveler is gone; the treasure remains.
This image maps to the key vocabulary: 遺産 (the treasure left behind = inheritance), 遺跡 (the road's old structures = ruins), 遺言 (precious final words = last will), 遺伝 (precious traits carried along the road of generations = heredity).