挂失

• Pinyin: guà shī
• Hanzi breakdown: 挂 = 扌 (hand) + 卦 (trigram) — to attach or register; 失 = 手 (hand) + 乙 — originally depicting something slipping from the hand, meaning to lose

Meaning

To report a loss; to formally declare an important document or card lost so it can be cancelled and replaced.

挂失 is a formal administrative procedure used to notify a bank, government office, or institution that an important item — such as an ID card, bank card, or passport — has been lost or stolen. Once reported, the item is frozen or invalidated to prevent unauthorised use. 挂失手续 (loss-reporting procedure) and 挂失热线 (loss-reporting hotline) are common collocations.

Examples

1. 银行卡一旦丢失，应立刻致电挂失，以防他人盗取账户内的资金。 If your bank card is lost, call immediately to report it lost so no one can steal the money in your account.
2. 她在火车站发现护照不见了，随即联系中国驻外使馆办理紧急挂失手续。 She realized her passport was missing at the train station and immediately contacted a Chinese embassy or consulate abroad to file an emergency loss report.
3. 学生证挂失后，需要持相关证明材料前往学生处申请补办新卡。 After reporting a student ID card lost, you need to bring the required documents to the student affairs office to apply for a replacement.

Usage Guide

Context: banking, administration, legal

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 身份证丢失后，应立即前往就近派出所办理挂失及补办手续。(If your ID card is lost, you should immediately go to the nearest police station to report the loss and apply for a replacement.)
• 请拨打银行客服热线进行挂失，防止他人利用你的账户进行非法交易。(Please call the bank's customer service hotline to report the loss and prevent others from making unauthorised transactions with your account.)

Don't Say

• 将'挂失'用于描述找不到钥匙或日常生活用品时 — 挂失 is a formal administrative procedure for important documents and cards; use 找不到 or 弄丢了 for misplacing everyday objects

Origin & History

挂 (to register; to attach a record) + 失 (to lose). Literally 'to register a loss' — to formally report that something has been lost.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal