失 meaning and stroke order
To lose; to make a mistake, to neglect
How to write 失, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 失
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to lose
- to miss
- to fail
How 失 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Something 丿 falling from a hand 夫.
Radical: 大 (big), shared by 46 characters on this site.
How to remember 失
Picture 夫 as a hand, with the extra stroke 丿 slipping out from the top. Something falls from your hand, so you lose it: 失 (shī).
失 (shī) rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in compounds about losing, failing, or missing something, like 失去 (shīqù), 失败 (shībài), and 失望 (shīwàng). Example: 我对他很失望。(Wǒ duì tā hěn shīwàng.) I am very disappointed in him.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 失 (shī) with 矢 (shǐ, arrow). In 失 the top stroke pokes through above the first horizontal line, while 矢 starts with a short slanted stroke that does not cross through. Also, 失 is first tone, so do not say it like 是 (shì).
Common words with 失
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 失去 | shīqù | to lose | HSK 3 |
| 消失 | xiāoshī | to disappear; to fade away | HSK 3 |
| 失败 | shībài | to be defeated; to lose | HSK 4 |
| 失望 | shīwàng | disappointed; to lose hope | HSK 4 |
| 失业 | shīyè | unemployment; to lose one's job | HSK 4 |
| 损失 | sǔnshī | loss; damage | HSK 5 |
| 失误 | shīwù | lapse; mistake | HSK 5 |
| 丧失 | sàngshī | to lose; to forfeit | HSK 6 |
| 失踪 | shīzōng | to be missing; to disappear | HSK 7-9 |
| 失控 | shīkòng | to go out of control | HSK 7-9 |
| 迷失 | míshī | to get lost; to lose one's bearings | HSK 7-9 |
| 丢失 | diūshī | to lose; to misplace | HSK 7-9 |
| 失落 | shīluò | to lose (sth); to drop (sth) | HSK 7-9 |
| 失效 | shīxiào | to fail; to lose effectiveness | HSK 7-9 |
失 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 失
Learning 失 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 失
How many strokes are in 失?
失 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 失 mean?
失 (shī) means to lose; to make a mistake, to neglect. A common word with it is 失去 (shīqù), meaning "to lose".
How do you pronounce 失?
失 is pronounced shī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 失?
The radical of 失 is 大, which carries the idea of "big". Dictionaries list 失 under this radical.
Is 失 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 失 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 失去 and 丢 for 'to lose'?
丢 (diū) is everyday and concrete, like losing your keys: 我丢了钥匙。失去 (shīqù) is more formal and often abstract, like losing a chance, a friend, or confidence.
Does 失败 mean 'to fail' or 'failure'?
Both. 失败 (shībài) works as a verb, as in 他失败了 (he failed), and as a noun, as in the saying 失败是成功之母 (failure is the mother of success).