損 (sǔn) - Damage, harm, loss & to decrease, reduce

損Tone 3

sǔn ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

树檀

損 · sǔn

Damage, harm, loss;

to decrease, reduce;

to impair, injure;

to lose, suffer loss;

to speak sarcastically, mock.

Damage, harm, lossto decrease, reduceto impair, injure

Usage highlights

Damage and lossHarm and injuryDecrease and reduceWear and tearProfit and lossDamaged goods

Synonyms

  • 害— harm, injure
  • 减— reduce, decrease
  • 失— lose, loss

Antonyms

  • 益— benefit, profit
  • 增— increase, augment
  • 补— supplement, repair

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The storm caused significant damage (损害) to the crops.
  • His reputation was harmed (受损) by the scandal.
  • We need to reduce (减少) our expenses this month.
  • He often speaks sarcastically (损人) to his colleagues.

Collocations

  • Damage and loss(损失)
  • Harm and injury(损害)
  • Decrease and reduce(减损)
  • Wear and tear(磨损)
  • Profit and loss(损益)
  • Damaged goods(损品)

Idioms

  • Full of losses and devoid of gains(损之又损)
  • Harm others to benefit oneself(损人利己)
  • Damaged and broken(破损不堪)
  • Decrease desires and simplify affairs(损欲简事)
  • Benefit without harm(有益无损)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese philosophy, the concept of 'sun' (损) appears in the I Ching (Book of Changes) as the 41st hexagram, representing decrease and the wisdom of letting go.
  • The character embodies the Daoist principle of non-contention and the value of humility through reduction.
  • In business contexts, it frequently relates to financial loss (损失) and is carefully considered in naming.

FAQ