失う

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word 失う. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word 失う, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say 失う in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word 失う you have here. The definition of the word 失う will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of失う, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

Japanese

Kanji in this term
うしな
Grade: 4
kun’yomi
Alternative spellings
喪う
失ウ

Etymology

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.
Particularly: “From classical yodan(四段活用) verb (うしな) (ushinafu), formed from うし (ushi, possibly related to ()せる (useru) or (うす) (usui)) + なふ (nafu, verb-forming suffix).”

Pronunciation

  • Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of "失う"
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Terminal (終止形)
Attributive (連体形)
失う しなう
Imperative (命令形) 失え しなえ
Key constructions
Passive 失われる しなわれる
Causative 失わせる しなわせる
Potential 失える しなえる
Volitional 失おう しなお
Negative 失わない しなわない
Negative perfective 失わなかった しなわなかった
Formal 失います しないま
Perfective 失った しなった
Conjunctive 失って しなって
Hypothetical conditional 失えば しなえ

Verb

(うしな) (ushinauうしなふ (usinafu)?transitive godan (stem (うしな) (ushinai), past (うしな)った (ushinatta))

  1. to lose (possession of something)
    ()(しん)(うしな)
    jishin o ushinau
    lose confidence
    • 1945 August 14th, the Shōwa Emperor [昭和天皇], 大東亞戰爭終結ノ詔書 , paragraph 5, sentence 2:
      ()()(ジヤウ)(ゲキ)スル(トコロ)(ミダリ)()(タン)(シゲ)クシ(アルイ)(ドウ)(ハウ)(ハイ)(セイ)(タガヒ)()(キョク)(ミダ)(タメ)(ダイ)(ドウ)(アヤマ)(シン)()()(カイ)(ウシナ)(ゴト)キハ(チン)(モット)(コレ)(イマシ)
      Moshi sore zyau no geki suru tokoro midari ni jitan wo shige kushi arui wa doufau faisei tagafi ni jikyoku wo midari tame ni daidou wo ayamari shingi wo sekai ni usinafu ka gotoki wa Tin mottomo kore wo imashimu
      Beware most strictly of any outbursts of emotion which may endanger needless complications, or any fraternal contention and strife which may create confusion, lead ye astray and cause ye to lose the confidence of the world.
      1945 translation by Tadaichi Hirakawa [平川唯一]
  2. to miss an opportunity etc.
    (まな)()(かい)(うしな)
    manabu kikai o ushinau
    miss the chance to learn something
  3. to lose a person (following their death), be bereaved of someone
    (おっと)(うしな)
    otto o ushinau
    lose one's husband

Conjugation

Synonyms

Antonyms

References

  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN