Definition
失踪 (shī zōng) means 'to go missing' — it specifically describes a person or object whose whereabouts are unknown, often used in official or news contexts. It differs from 消失 (xiāo shī), which means 'to disappear or fade away' without the implication of being lost, and from 不见 (bù jiàn), a more colloquial word for 'to be missing' (especially objects).
verb
to go missingto disappear (of a person or object)
Examples
- 失踪。Nà ge háizi yǐjīng shī zōng liǎng tiān le.That child has been missing for two days.
- 失踪。Jǐngfāng zài sēnlín lǐ zhǎodào le shī zōng de yóukè.The police found the missing tourist in the forest.
- 失踪，。Tā de hùzhào shī zōng le, xūyào bǔbàn.His passport is missing; he needs to get a replacement.
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