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失去 (shī qù) — to lose

Definition

失去 (shī qù) means 'to lose' something — concrete or abstract (money, trust, a game). More formal than 丢 (everyday 'misplace/throw away'), and works for both tangible and intangible losses, unlike 丧失 (abstract only).

verb
to lose

Examples

  • 失去。
    Tā shī qù le suǒ yǒu de qián.
    He lost all his money.
  • 失去。
    Wǒ bù xiǎng shī qù nǐ de xìn rèn.
    I don't want to lose your trust.
  • 失去。
    Zhè cì bǐ sài tā men shī qù le.
    They lost this competition.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

失shīlose
去qùaway

失 means lose and 去 means away, so 失去 describes losing something and it being gone.

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 →

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

去 pairs 大, a man, with 口, a mouth or object. The evidence reads this as a man leaving a place, a man opening his mouth, or a cover over an object.

Open 去 →
Appears in
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