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迷失 (mí shī) — to lose (one's bearings); to get lost (literally or figuratively)

Definition

迷失 focuses on losing one's direction or way, literally (e.g., in a forest) or figuratively (sense of self, goals). It is more abstract than 迷路 ('to get lost on a road') and emphasizes losing what guided you, not the object lost (cf. 失去).

verb
to lose (one's bearings)to get lost (literally or figuratively)

Examples

  • 迷失。
    Tā zài sēn lín lǐ mí shī le fāng xiàng.
    He lost his direction in the forest.
  • 迷失。
    Tā zài zhè ge chéng shì lǐ mí shī le zì wǒ.
    She lost herself in this city.
  • 迷失。
    Hěn duō rén zài rén shēng zhōng huì mí shī fāng xiàng.
    Many people lose their direction in life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

迷míconfused, lost
失shīlose

“迷” (confused, lost) and “失” (lose) combine to express losing one’s bearings, literally or figuratively.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
米
米mǐ迷mí
Same sound today

迷 uses 辵, the walking part, and 米, which gives the sound.

Open 迷 →

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 →
Appears in
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