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受害 (shòu hài) — to be harmed, to be victimized; to suffer damage or injury

Definition

Means 'to be harmed / victimized', often used for people or groups affected by an event (victims, residents, crops). Lightly broader than 受伤 ('physically injured') and 损失 ('suffer a loss').

verb
to be harmedto be victimizedto suffer damage or injury

Examples

  • 受害。
    Zhè cì shì gù zhōng yǒu sān gè rén shòu hài le.
    Three people were injured in this accident.
  • 受害。
    shòu hài De jū mín zhèng zài děng dài zhèng fǔ de bāng zhù.
    The affected residents are waiting for government assistance.
  • ，受害。
    Rú guǒ nóng yào shǐ yòng bú dàng, nóng zuò wù róng yì shòu hài.
    If pesticides are used improperly, crops are easily damaged.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

受shòureceive
害hàiharm

受 means to receive and 害 means harm, so it means to receive harm.

Characters in this word

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

受 possibly combines 爪 and 又 as hands with 舟 as a boat, to show handing something over.

Open 受 →

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 7-9Crime & PoliceSafety & Danger

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.