損失

• Reading: そんしつ
• Romaji: sonshitsu
• Kanji breakdown: 損 (son) — loss, damage; 失 (shitsu) — to lose, to miss
• Pronunciation: /soɴ.ɕi.tsɯ/

Meaning

Loss of assets, profit, or value. The opposite of profit in a financial context.

A noun referring to financial or material loss. 損失 is more formal than 損 alone and is commonly used in business, finance, and insurance contexts. Common collocations include 損失を出す (to incur a loss), 損失額 (amount of loss), and 経済的損失 (economic loss).

Examples

1. 台風の影響で会社に大きな損失が出た。 The typhoon caused major losses for the company.
2. 今回の失敗による損失は計算できない。 The losses from this failure are impossible to calculate.
3. 損失を最小限にするための対策が必要だ。 Measures to minimize losses are necessary.

Usage Guide

Context: business, finance, insurance

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 損 (loss, damage) and 失 (to lose, to miss). Both characters convey the sense of losing something, creating an emphatic compound.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal