损失

• Pinyin: sǔn shī
• Hanzi breakdown: 损 = 扌(hand) + 员 (member), to reduce; 失 = 手 variant + 丿, to lose

Meaning

Loss; damage. To suffer a loss. Can be both verb and noun.

Refers to losing something valuable, whether tangible (money, property) or intangible (time, opportunity). Very common in business, disaster reports, and everyday contexts. As a verb, it means to lose; as a noun, it means the loss itself.

Examples

1. 这次台风造成了巨大的经济损失。 This typhoon caused enormous economic losses.
2. 公司因为决策失误损失了不少客户。 The company lost quite a few customers due to poor decision-making.
3. 时间损失了就再也找不回来了。 Once time is lost, it can never be recovered.

Usage Guide

Context: business, disasters, everyday

Tone: concerned

Do Say

• 损失有多大？(How big is the loss?)
• 减少损失。(Reduce losses.)

Don't Say

• 损失了我的钥匙 — for losing personal items, use 丢了 or 弄丢了; 损失 is for significant losses

Origin & History

Compound of 损 (to lose/damage) + 失 (to lose), both meaning loss, for emphasis.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal