丢失

• Pinyin: diū shī
• Hanzi breakdown: 丢 = 一 + 去 (to lose); 失 = 手 + 乙 (to miss/lose — hand losing its grip)

Meaning

To lose; to go missing. Refers to the unintentional loss or disappearance of something, whether physical items, data, documents, or abstract assets.

More formal than plain 丢. Commonly used in official contexts such as reporting lost documents, describing data loss, or noting missing assets. Can apply to both tangible objects and intangible things like opportunities, files, or historical artefacts.

Examples

1. 他的护照在旅途中不慎丢失，导致行程被迫中断。 He accidentally lost his passport during the trip, forcing him to interrupt his itinerary.
2. 由于系统故障，公司大量客户数据遭到丢失。 Due to a system failure, the company lost a large amount of customer data.
3. 这批珍贵的历史文献在战乱中丢失，至今下落不明。 This batch of precious historical documents was lost during wartime, and to this day its whereabouts remain unknown.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, administration, technology, legal

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请即向警方报告证件丢失情况，以便尽快办理补办手续。(Please report the loss of your identity documents to the police immediately so replacement procedures can be initiated.)
• 数据丢失可能给企业造成不可估量的损失，务必做好定期备份工作。(Data loss can cause immeasurable damage to a business, so regular backups are essential.)

Don't Say

• 我丢失了他 — use 我和他走散了 or 他失踪了 for people; 丢失 is typically used for objects, documents, or data, not persons

Origin & History

丢 (to drop/lose) + 失 (to miss/lose)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal