伤亡

• Pinyin: shāng wáng
• Hanzi breakdown: 伤 = injured; 亡 = 亠 (lid) + 匕 — to die, perish — casualties

Meaning

Casualties; killed and wounded. People who are injured or killed in an accident, disaster, or conflict.

A compound covering both the injured and the dead, commonly used in news reports about accidents, natural disasters, and military conflicts. Often appears with numbers indicating the scale of a tragedy. More formal than describing injuries and deaths separately.

Examples

1. 这场地震造成了严重的人员伤亡。 This earthquake caused serious casualties.
2. 救援人员正在全力减少伤亡人数。 Rescue workers are doing everything to reduce the number of casualties.
3. 由于预警及时，这次台风没有造成重大伤亡。 Thanks to timely warnings, this typhoon did not cause major casualties.

Usage Guide

Context: news, disasters, military

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 伤亡人数还在统计中。(Casualty numbers are still being counted.)
• 我们必须避免不必要的伤亡。(We must avoid unnecessary casualties.)

Don't Say

• 不要在轻微事故中使用'伤亡' (Don't use 伤亡 for minor accidents — it implies serious casualties; say 受伤 for minor injuries)

Origin & History

Compound of 伤 (injured, wounded) + 亡 (dead, deceased). Together covering both categories of casualties.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal