destroy · perish

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 滅 has 13 strokes and appears in words for perishing or disappearing.
• Basic usage: 滅びる is read ほろびる, and 点滅 is read てんめつ.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• What perishes
  • 古代文明がなぜ滅びたのか means why an ancient civilization perished.
  • 生息地を失えば、この島の固有種は滅びるおそれがある means that the island's endemic species risks extinction if it loses its habitat.
• A flashing light
  • 警告灯が赤く点滅している describes a warning light blinking red. 点滅 refers to a light turning on and off.