失

音読おんよみ: シツ

訓読くんよみ: うしなう

画数かくすう: 5

部首ぶしゅ: 大（だい）

Meaning

Lose / Mistake / Error / Defect

  • Basic forms
  • 失う — to lose / base form
  • 失います — lose / masu form
  • 失った — lost / ta form
  • 失って — lose and … / te-form
  • 失わない — do not lose / negative
  • 失えば — if (one) loses / conditional
  • Common expressions
  • 命を失う — to lose one’s life
  • 信頼を失った — lost trust
  • 機会を失う — miss an opportunity
  • More
  • 失おう — let’s lose; may lose / 〜よう form
  • 失っている — has lost; is without / state

失う（うしなう） is a godan verb. It means losing something important — physically, emotionally, or abstractly, such as life, trust, time, or opportunities.

  • 失敗しっぱい — failure; mistake
  • 失礼しつれい — rudeness; “excuse me”
  • 損失そんしつ — loss; damage
  • 喪失そうしつ — loss (of something abstract)
  • 消失しょうしつ — disappearance; loss
  • 失望しつぼう — disappointment
  • 失業しつぎょう — unemployment

The character 失 likely derives from a hand letting something slip — symbolizing loss. It commonly appears in words about failure, error, or losing something material or abstract (opportunity, manners, employment).

チャンスを失うしないました。
I missed the opportunity.

失敗しっぱいは 成功せいこうのもと。
Failure is the mother of success.

失礼しつれいします。
Excuse me. / Pardon me.

敗
Creates
失敗しっぱい — failure; mistake
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