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损伤 (sǔn shāng) — to damage, to harm, to injure

Definition

Used for gradual or cumulative harm (e.g., health, reputation, structure). Compared with 损害 and 损坏, it leans toward people/bodies; 损坏 is more for objects.

verb
to damageto harmto injure

Examples

  • 损伤。
    Guò dù yùn dòng kě néng sǔn shāng guān jié.
    Excessive exercise may damage the joints.
  • 损伤。
    Zhè chǎng huǒ zāi sǔn shāng le zhěng dòng lóu tǐ jié gòu.
    This fire damaged the building's structure.
  • 损伤。
    Bú yào sǔn shāng zì jǐ de míng shēng.
    Don't damage your own reputation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

损sǔndamage
伤shānginjury

损 and 伤 both convey harm, giving the sense of damaging or injuring.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 損; 损 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
員
員yuán損sǔn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 損 pairs 手 (hand) with 員 as a sound part; the simplified 损 is a later shorthand, so its visible parts are not the original components.

Open 损 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 傷; 伤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥏻
𥏻𥏻傷shāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傷 shows 人, a person, and uses 𥏻 to give the sound; the simplified 伤 is a later shorthand.

Open 伤 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Injury & Disability5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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