受害

• Pinyin: shòu hài
• Hanzi breakdown: 受 = 爪 + 冖 + 又 (hands passing something — to receive, to bear); 害 = 宀 + 丰 + 口 (roof + abundant + mouth — to obstruct; extended to harm)

Meaning

To suffer harm; to be victimised; to sustain injury or damage.

A verb meaning 'to receive/suffer harm'. Can describe physical injury, financial loss, psychological damage, or ecological harm. The subject is always the party harmed. Commonly used in legal, social, and environmental contexts. Key compounds: 受害者 / 受害人 (victim); 受害方 (the injured/harmed party). Closely related to 受损 (to sustain damage — more neutral, often used for property or interests) and 遭受伤害 (to suffer injury — more formal and literary).

Examples

1. 这起跨国网诈案中，数万人受害，遍及二十多个国家和地区。 In this cross-border online fraud case, tens of thousands were victimised across more than twenty countries and regions.
2. 家暴中的受害者常因经济依赖、社会孤立和创伤而难以脱身，社会支持不能以主动求助为前提。 Victims of domestic violence often struggle to escape because of financial dependence, social isolation, and trauma, so social support cannot depend on the victim first asking for help.
3. 生态破坏最终会使当地所有生命形式受害，也提醒我们保护多样性就是维护人类健康。 Environmental damage will eventually cause all local life forms to suffer, and it reminds us that protecting biodiversity also protects human health.

Usage Guide

Context: law, social issues, environment, crime, public health

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 气候变化中受害最深的，往往是低收入国家和脆弱群体，这种不对称格局使气候正义难以共识。(In climate change, those who suffer most are often low-income countries and vulnerable groups, and this uneven pattern makes climate justice hard to agree on.)
• 处理网暴时，平台不应只看违规，还要帮已受害用户做心理支持和账号保护。(When dealing with online abuse, platforms should not only judge violations but also provide psychological support and account protection for users who have already been harmed.)

Don't Say

• 受害 for inanimate objects where the focus is on material damage rather than victimisation — use 受损 (to sustain damage) or 遭受破坏 (to suffer destruction); 受害 carries a connotation of a sentient being or identifiable party being wronged, and sounds awkward for purely material or abstract losses

Origin & History

受 (to receive; to be subjected to) + 害 (harm; damage — 宀 roof + 丰 abundance + 口 mouth, originally to block/obstruct, extended to harm/injure)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal