失 shī to lose
How to remember 失: ㇒ falling stroke + 夫 husband = to lose. With one falling stroke of his arm the husband waves goodbye, and off flies the wedding ring he swore never to lose.
Component breakdown
失 = ㇒ falling stroke + 夫 husband
- ㇒ falling stroke
- 夫 husband
- 二 two
- 人 person
With one falling stroke of his arm the husband waves goodbye, and off flies the wedding ring he swore never to lose.
How it came to be
A hand with a stroke slipping out from between the fingers. The stroke is not a thing in itself: it is the fact that whatever was there is going, and the hand is too late.
How it is used
- To lose / fail / miss - 失去 (shīqù) lose, 失败 (shībài) fail, 失望 (shīwàng) disappointed.
- 失去 is losing something abstract (a chance, a loved one); contrast 丢 (diū), losing a physical object.
- 失眠 (shīmián) insomnia; 失业 (shīyè) unemployment; 失误 (shīwù) a slip/error.
Characters built with 失
Words with 失
- 失望shīwàngdisappointedHSK 4
- 失败shībàibe defeatedHSK 4
- 失去shīqùto loseHSK 4
- 丢失diūshīto loseHSK 5
- 失业shīyèunemploymentHSK 5
- 失恋shīliànto lose one's loveHSK 5
- 失眠shīmiánto suffer from insomniaHSK 5
- 失误shīwùlapseHSK 5
- 损失sǔnshīlossHSK 5
- 消失xiāoshīto disappearHSK 5
- 丧失sàngshīto loseHSK 6
- 万无一失wànwú-yìshīsurefireHSK 7
- 失事shīshìto have an accidentHSK 7
- 失传shīchuánto die outHSK 7
- 失利shīlìto loseHSK 7
- 失态shītàito forget one's mannersHSK 7
- 失效shīxiàoto failHSK 7
- 失明shīmíngto lose one's eyesightHSK 7
- 失礼shīlǐto act discourteouslyHSK 7
- 失落shīluòto lose (something)HSK 7
- 得失déshīgains and lossesHSK 7
- 挂失guàshīto report the loss of somethingHSK 7
- 流失liúshīto wash awayHSK 7
- 缺失quēshīlackHSK 7
- 过失guòshīerrorHSK 7
- 迷失míshīto lose (one's bearings)HSK 7
- 失控shīkòngto go out of controlHSK 8
- 失灵shīlíngout of order (of machine)HSK 8
- 失踪shīzōngto be missingHSK 8
- 得不偿失débùchángshīthe gains do not make up for the lossesHSK 8
- 惊慌失措jīnghuāng-shīcuòto lose one's head out of fear (idiom)HSK 8
- 遗失yíshīto loseHSK 9
Example sentences
- 他迷失了方向。 Tā míshīle fāngxiàng.He's lost his way.
- 可惜他失败了。 Kěxī tā shībàile.It's a pity that he failed.
- 对不起让你失望了。 Duìbuqǐ ràng nǐ shīwàng le.I'm sorry to have disappointed you.
- 太阳消失在云层后面。 Tàiyáng xiāoshī zài yúncéng hòumian.The sun is disappearing behind the clouds.