損なう

• Reading: そこなう
• Romaji: sokonau
• Kanji breakdown: 損 (son/soko) — loss, damage, harm
• Pronunciation: /so.ko.na.ɯ/

Meaning

To harm; to damage; to spoil; to impair. Describes causing loss or deterioration to something valuable.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb expressing damage or impairment. Used for both physical damage and abstract harm such as reputation, health, or trust. Also functions as a verb suffix (e.g., 食べ損なう — to miss eating). As a suffix it means failing to do something or missing the chance.

Examples

1. 不規則な生活は健康を損なう原因になる。 An irregular lifestyle can damage your health.
2. 一度の失言が信頼を損なうことがある。 A single slip of the tongue can damage trust.
3. 景観を損なわないよう建物の高さが制限されている。 Building heights are restricted so as not to spoil the scenery.

Usage Guide

Context: health, business, environment

Tone: cautionary

Origin & History

From the kanji 損 (loss, damage), combining 扌 (hand radical) with 員 (member/round), suggesting something being diminished or reduced by hand — the act of causing loss.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal