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损害 (sǔn hài) — to damage, to harm, to impair

Definition

损害 (sǔnhài) emphasizes causing concrete, measurable harm to interests, health, or reputation. Stronger than 伤害 (physical/emotional injury) and more neutral than 危害 (endanger public safety).

verb
to damageto harmto impair

Examples

  • 损害。
    Cháng qī xī yān huì sǔn hài fèi bù jiàn kāng.
    Long-term smoking can damage lung health.
  • 损害。
    Zhè cì shì gù yán zhòng sǔn hài le gōng sī de shēng yù.
    This accident severely damaged the company's reputation.
  • 损害。
    Tā men de zhēng chǎo sǔn hài le bǐ cǐ de gǎn qíng.
    Their quarrel harmed each other's feelings.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

损sǔndamage
害hàiharm

损 and 害 both convey harm, giving the sense of damaging or impairing.

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 損; 损 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
員
員yuán損sǔn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 損 pairs 手 (hand) with 員 as a sound part; the simplified 损 is a later shorthand, so its visible parts are not the original components.

Open 损 →

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 5Abstract Concepts

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