损 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) to decrease; to diminish; (bound form) to harm; to damage; (coll.) to ridicule; to deride
How to write 损, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 损
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) to decrease; to diminish
- (bound form) to harm; to damage
- (coll.) to ridicule; to deride
- (coll.) mean; nasty; sarcastic
How 损 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Hand.
扌 gives the meaning and 员 hints at the sound.
Radical: 扌 (hand), shared by 342 characters on this site.
How to remember 损
The hand radical 扌 on the left shows an action done by hand, and 员 (yuán) on the right is the sound part. Picture a careless hand knocking things over and causing damage.
损 (sǔn) rarely stands alone in formal Chinese. It appears in words like 损失 (sǔnshī, loss), 损坏 (sǔnhuài, to damage) and 亏损 (kuīsǔn, financial loss). Example: 这次台风造成了很大的损失。(Zhè cì táifēng zàochéng le hěn dà de sǔnshī.) This typhoon caused great losses.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 损 with 换 (huàn, to exchange), since both have 扌 on the left. Remember that 损 has 员 on the right, with a small 口 on top of 贝. Also keep the third tone: sǔn, not sūn like 孙.
Common words with 损
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 损失 | sǔnshī | loss; damage | HSK 5 |
| 损害 | sǔnhài | harm; to damage | HSK 5 |
| 损坏 | sǔnhuài | to damage; to injure | HSK 7-9 |
| 损伤 | sǔnshāng | to harm; to damage | HSK 7-9 |
| 磨损 | mósǔn | to suffer wear and tear; to deteriorate through use; to wear out | HSK 7-9 |
| 亏损 | kuīsǔn | deficit; (financial) loss | HSK 7-9 |
| 损人利己 | sǔnrén-lìjǐ | harming others for one's personal benefit (idiom); personal gain to the detriment of other | HSK 7-9 |
| 受损 | shòusǔn | to suffer damage | |
| 完好无损 | wánhǎowúsǔn | in good condition; undamaged | |
| 损毁 | sǔnhuǐ | to damage; to wreck; to destroy | |
| 破损 | pòsǔn | to become damaged | |
| 有损 | yǒusǔn | to be harmful (to) | |
| 脑损伤 | nǎosǔnshāng | brain damage | |
| 无损 | wúsǔn | to do no harm (to sth); intact |
损 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 损
How many strokes are in 损?
损 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 损 mean?
损 (sǔn) means (bound form) to decrease; to diminish; (bound form) to harm; to damage; (coll.) to ridicule; to deride. A common word with it is 损失 (sǔnshī), meaning "loss; damage".
How do you pronounce 损?
损 is pronounced sǔn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 损?
The radical of 损 is 扌, which carries the idea of "hand". Dictionaries list 损 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 损?
The traditional form of 损 is 損. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 损 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 损 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 损 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 损 mean in casual speech?
In colloquial Chinese, 损 can mean to tease someone with sarcasm, or describe a person or remark as mean. For example, 你说话真损 (nǐ shuōhuà zhēn sǔn) means "You talk so nastily."
What is the difference between 损坏 and 损害?
损坏 (sǔnhuài) is usually used for physical objects getting broken, like a phone or a machine. 损害 (sǔnhài) is more abstract and is used for harm to health, interests, or reputation.