失掉 (shī diào) — to lose (something); to miss (an opportunity)

Definition

More formal/written way to say 'lose' (things, opportunities, confidence), especially in abstract or consequential contexts. The plain everyday verb 丢 (HSK 2) is the casual spoken equivalent for losing a physical object.

verb
to lose (something)to miss (an opportunity)

Examples

  • 失掉。
    Tā chū mén shí bù xiǎo xīn shī diào le qián bāo.
    He accidentally lost his wallet while going out.
  • 失掉，。
    shī diào Le zhè ge jī huì, jiù hěn nán zài yù dào le.
    If you miss this opportunity, it will be hard to come across it again.
  • 失掉。
    Jiē lián shī bài ràng tā shī diào le xìn xīn.
    Repeated failures made him lose confidence.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

失shīlose
掉diàofall away

掉 adds the sense of falling away or completion to 失: to lose something.

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 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
卓
卓zhuó掉diào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

掉 is built from 扌 (a hand) and 卓, which gives the pronunciation.

Open 掉 →

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