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痛失 (tòng shī) — to suffer the painful loss of (a loved one, opportunity, victory, etc.)

Definition

A formal/written verb for 'to painfully lose' — a person, chance, or victory. Stronger and more literary than just 失去, emphasizing grief or regret over what was lost.

verb
to suffer the painful loss of (a loved one, opportunity, victory, etc.)

Examples

  • 痛失。
    Tā zài nà chǎng shì gù zhōng tòng shī le wéi yī de qīn rén.
    He suffered the painful loss of his only relative in that accident.
  • ，痛失。
    Yīn wèi zhǔn bèi bù zú, tā men tòng shī le duó guàn de jī huì.
    Because of insufficient preparation, they missed out on the opportunity to win the championship.
  • 痛失。
    Zhè zhī qiú duì zài zuì hòu shí kè tòng shī le shèng lì.
    This team suffered a painful loss of victory in the final moments.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

痛tòngpainful
失shīlose

痛 gives painful intensity to 失, so the loss is deeply painful.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nèillness
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng痛tòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →

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 →
Appears in
Abstract ConceptsEmotions & Feelings

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