损 (sǔn) - damage, harm, injure & decrease, lose

损Tone 3

sǔn ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

损 · sǔn

damage, harm, injure;

decrease, lose;

derogatory term meaning to diminish or belittle

damage, harm, injuredecrease, losederogatory term meaning to diminish or belittle

Usage highlights

damage and lossharm and injurywear and teardecrease and diminishderogatory termdamage one's health

Synonyms

  • 害— harm, injure, damage
  • 伤— injure, wound, hurt
  • 毁— destroy, ruin, damage
  • 亏— lose, deficit, deficiency

Antonyms

  • 益— benefit, advantage, profit
  • 补— supplement, repair, nourish
  • 增— increase, augment, add
  • 利— benefit, profit, advantage

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The storm caused significant damage (损害) to the crops.
  • Excessive exercise can harm (损伤) your joints.
  • His reputation suffered a loss (损失) after the scandal.
  • Don't belittle (损人) others to make yourself look better.

Collocations

  • damage and loss(损失)
  • harm and injury(损害)
  • wear and tear(磨损)
  • decrease and diminish(减损)
  • derogatory term(损称)
  • damage one's health(损健康)

Idioms

  • To be detrimental to others and not beneficial to oneself(损人不利己)
  • To injure others to benefit oneself(损人利己)
  • To suffer losses and be humiliated(损兵折将)
  • To be full of oneself(损到家)
  • To be completely worn out(损毁殆尽)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese philosophy, '损' represents the concept of decrease or loss, contrasting with '益' (benefit).
  • The character appears in the Yijing (I Ching) as the 41st hexagram, 'Decrease' (损卦).
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, '损' refers to pathological damage to bodily tissues or functions.
  • The concept of '损人利己' (harming others to benefit oneself) is strongly condemned in Confucian ethics.

FAQ