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输给 (shū gěi) — to lose to (someone)

Definition

输给 (shū gěi) means 'to lose to' a specific opponent in a contest or match — the focus is on who beat you. Compare with 失败 (shībài), which is a more general 'to fail/defeat' without naming the other side.

verb
to lose to (someone)

Examples

  • 输给。
    Zuó tiān wǒ men lán qiú duì shū gěi le tā men xué xiào.
    Yesterday our basketball team lost to their school.
  • 输给。
    Tā shū gěi le shàng yí jiè guàn jūn.
    He lost to the previous champion.
  • ，输给。
    Zài zhè chǎng xiàng qí bǐ sài zhōng, wǒ shū gěi le tā.
    In this chess game, I lost to him.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

输shūlose
给gěito

输给 pairs 输 (lose) and 给 (to) to mean lose to someone.

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 輸; 输 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jū
Sound part声符shēngfú
俞
俞yú輸shū
Same sound today

The traditional form 輸 pairs 車 (vehicle) with 俞 for sound; 車 shows the meaning.

Open 输 →

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 給; 给 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mì
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé給gěi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 給 uses 糸 (silk) for meaning and 合 for sound, and its old sense was rich, abundant, perhaps referring to precious silk; 给 is a later simplified form.

Open 给 →
Appears in
Success & Failure

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