What is the difference between sushi, sashimi, and

nigiri?
Sashimi -- raw slices* of fresh fish arranged on their own -- is generally left distinct from
sushi, which involves rice (and takes its name from the vinegar that flavors that rice).
Nigiri, on the other hand, is one of the different types of sushi, which vary most
obviously by shape and construction. Most basically:
Nigiri-zushi** involves a slice of raw fish atop an oblong, compacted mound of
rice. Nigiri is generally served in pairs, with a little dab of wasabi between the rice
and the fish, and sometimes with a small strip of nori (seaweed) belting it all
together.
Maki-zushi involves strips of fish and vegetable laid in rice and rolled inside nori
to make a long cylinder. It's then typically served cut into 6-8 pieces.
Another common find that's in the maki family is temaki, which
translates literally as "hand roll" (the term often used Stateside). Temaki
involves a nori cone which holds the fish, rice and other ingredients inside.
And then there's also uramaki, which is the "inside-out" roll with fish in
the center, then nori and finally the sushi rice as the outer layer. These are,
like the regular maki, created as long cylinders then sliced.
Inari-zushi is encased in a pouch of fried tofu, and typically has no fish, only sushi
rice.
Chirashi-zushi, one of my favorites (in no small part because it sounds like what
it describes), is simply a bowl of sushi rice with the fish and other ingredients
mixed in.
*When sashimi is sliced thick, you'll usually see it served with shoyu and wasabi. It can
also come with various garnishes, like daikon (a type of radish). When sliced thin, you'll
also see it served with ponzu.
**In case you're curious, the word sushi, when given a prefix, undergoes consonant
mutation to become zushi, which you can look at as just a different way of "voicing" the
s. Consonant mutation happens in many languages, and in Japanese this particular
phenomenon is termed rendaku.