失地 (shī dì) — to lose territory (e.g. in war, political negotiation, or land management)

Definition

Mostly used in war, diplomacy, or dynastic/political history — 'to lose territory'. A specific historical-political verb, not everyday speech.

verb
to lose territory (e.g. in war, political negotiation, or land management)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 失地。
    Zhèng fǔ jué bú huì ràng guó jiā shī dì.
    The government will never allow the country to lose territory.
  • 。
    Zhè chǎng zhàn zhēng ràng tā men shī le hěn dà yí piàn dì.
    This war caused them to lose a very large piece of territory.
  • 。
    Lì shǐ shàng zhè ge cháo dài cóng wèi shī guò dì.
    In history, this dynasty never lost territory.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

失shīlose
地dìterritory

失 is lose, 地 is territory, so losing territory is the meaning.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape is explained as a fallen person's footprint surrounded by drops of blood; another reading pairs 手 (hand) and 乙 to show something falling from a hand.

Open 失 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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