损 sǔn to damage
to damage; to harm
How to remember 损: 扌 hand + 员 member = to damage. One careless hand on the shelf, and the newest staff member watches the vases crash, sure he managed to damage the whole display.
Component breakdown
损 = 扌 hand + 员 member
- 扌 hand
- 员 member
- 口 mouth
- 贝 sea shell
One careless hand on the shelf, and the newest staff member watches the vases crash, sure he managed to damage the whole display.
How it is used
- 损坏 sǔnhuài is for physical damage to objects: 损坏公物 "damaging public property."
- 损害 sǔnhài is for abstract harm to interests, health, or reputation: 损害健康 "harm one's health."
- 损失 sǔnshī "loss" works as both noun and verb, common in business and disaster reporting.
- Rarely used alone - always paired into one of these fixed compounds.