TongTong
Sign in

伤害 (shāng hài) — to injure; to harm

Definition

A general verb for hurting someone physically or emotionally — broader than 受伤 (which only means getting physically hurt). Stronger and more abstract than 损害, which is mostly for concrete things like rights or interests.

verb
to injureto harm

Examples

  • 伤害。
    Xī yān huì shāng hài jiàn kāng.
    Smoking can harm your health.
  • 伤害。
    Tā de huà shāng hài le wǒ.
    His words hurt me.
  • 伤害。
    Bú yào shāng hài xiǎo dòng wù.
    Don't harm small animals.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

伤shāngto injure
害hàito harm

伤害 joins 伤 'to injure' and 害 'to harm' into a word about causing damage.

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 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 →

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

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丯
丯jiè害hài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

害 was borrowed purely for its sound. Its old picture, possibly a house rafter, is unrelated to harm.

Open 害 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 51000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsInjury & Disability2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.