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损失 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
损失sǔnshīlossHSK 5, n, rank #2287, Hard
损失sǔnshīdamageHSK 5, n, rank #2287, Hard
损失sǔnshī>个[gè]HSK 5, n, rank #2287, Hard
损失sǔnshīto loseHSK 5, n, rank #2287, Hard
损失sǔnshīto damageHSK 5, n, rank #2287, Hard
损失sǔnshīto suffer damageHSK 5, unknown, rank #2287, Hard
sǔnshī(sun3shi1) T3
  1. 1loss
  2. 2damage
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March 24, 2026
损失(損失)sǔnshī(sun3shi1)

损失 (sǔn shī) refers to loss or damage, often in a financial or material sense. It is commonly used in contexts such as business, insurance, and personal finance, where something of value is diminished or lost. The term carries a nuance of regret or negative impact associated with the loss.

Frequency#2287DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese business culture, the concept of 损失 is taken very seriously, especially in financial dealings. Companies often prepare detailed risk assessments to minimize potential 损失 before engaging in new ventures.

Memory Tip

Imagine a sunken ship (损) that has suffered significant loss (失) at sea. The image of the ship sinking represents the concept of loss vividly, while the pronunciation 'sǔn shī' sounds like 'sun' and 'she'—think of the sun setting on your lost treasures.

Meanings of 损失

sǔnshī(sun3shi1)
1loss
2damage
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 损失

损失Simplified
損失Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#2287Frequency Rank
个Measure Word
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2

Podcast: 损失

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Podcast: 损失

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AI Study Notes for 损失

Quick Contrast

损失 (sǔnshī) vs 亏损 (kuīsǔn): use 损失 for general loss, while 亏损 specifically refers to financial losses or deficits.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a sunken ship (损) that has suffered significant loss (失) at sea. The image of the ship sinking represents the concept of loss vividly, while the pronunciation 'sǔn shī' sounds like 'sun' and 'she'—think of the sun setting on your lost treasures.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 损失 with the verb '损害' (sǔn hài), which means to harm or damage. 损失 is typically used in formal contexts such as financial reports or discussions. Common collocations include '经济损失' (economic loss) and '损失赔偿' (loss compensation).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 5 word, 损失 connects with other terms related to finance and loss, such as 赔偿 (compensation) and 经济 (economy). Students should focus on its usage in business contexts and practice constructing sentences that include it.

Cultural Note

In Chinese business culture, the concept of 损失 is taken very seriously, especially in financial dealings. Companies often prepare detailed risk assessments to minimize potential 损失 before engaging in new ventures.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 损失 in a casual context where a more informal term would suffice. For example, saying '我损失了我的钥匙' (I lost my keys) is incorrect; instead, use '我丢了我的钥匙' (I lost my keys).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 损失

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Component Characters

损sǔnto decrease
HSK 710 strokes扌
View full entry
失shīto lose
5 strokes大
View full entry

Write 损失

损
失

Practice writing 损失 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 损失

损失 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons4
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

据报道，这次地震造成了严重的____。

According to reports, this earthquake caused serious damage.

Example Sentences for 损失 (10)

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1
英国铁路公司遭受了4,500万英镑的巨额损失后境况更加惨淡。

yīng guó tiě lù gōng sī zāo shòu le4,500 4,500 wàn yīng bàng de jù é sǔn shī hòu jìng kuàng gēng jiā cǎn。

The gloom deepened after a thumping £45m loss at British Rail.
2
这桩交易有些冒险，不过巴格利也没什么可损失的。

zhè zhuāng jiāo yì yǒu xiē mào xiǎn， ， bù guò bā gé lì yě méi shí mó kě sǔn shī。

The deal was a long shot, but Bagley had little to lose.
3
也许要花上几十亿卢布才能赔偿这一损失。

yě xǔ yào huā shàng jī shí yì lú bù cái néng péi cháng zhè yī sǔn shī。

It may cost several billion roubles to make good the damage.
4
期货价格在早盘深幅下跌后出现反弹，收盘时未见严重损失。

qī huò jià gé zài zǎo pán shēn fú xià diē hòu chū xiàn fǎn dàn， ， shōu pán shí wèi jiàn yán zhòng sǔn。

Futures prices recovered from sharp early declines to end with moderate losses.
5
损失数百人之后，他们的士兵被迫灰溜溜地撤退。

sǔn shī shù bǎi rén zhī hòu， ， tā mén de shì bīng bèi pò huī liū liū dì chè。

Their soldiers had to retreat ignominiously after losing hundreds of lives.
6
若战事一起，两国均会损失惨重。

ruò zhàn shì yī qǐ， ， liǎng guó jūn huì sǔn shī cǎn。

Both countries have much to lose if there is a war.
7
不要提早兑现保单，那样你可能会损失惨重。

bù yào tí zǎo duì xiàn bǎo dān， ， nà yàng nǐ kě néng huì sǔn shī cǎn。

Avoid cashing in a policy early as you could lose out heavily.
8
说损失会很严重想必猜得不错。

shuō sǔn shī huì hěn yán zhòng xiǎng bì cāi dé bù cuò。

It's a fair guess to say that the damage will be extensive.
9
她说他的死对自己来说是巨大的损失。

tā shuō tā de sǐ duì zì jǐ lái shuō shì jù dà de sǔn shī。

She said his death was a great loss to herself.
10
心理测试能够使组织机构避免犯下损失惨重的大错。

xīn lǐ cè shì néng gòu shǐ zǔ zhī jī gòu bì miǎn fàn xià sǔn shī cǎn zhòng de dà cuò。

Psychometric tests can save organizations from grim and costly mistakes.

Cultural Notes for 损失

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese business culture, the concept of 损失 is taken very seriously, especially in financial dealings. Companies often prepare detailed risk assessments to minimize potential 损失 before engaging in new ventures.

Frequently Asked Questions about 损失

You can say '我们公司去年遭受了很大的损失' (Our company suffered a significant loss last year).