Translation guide
The English word "loss" covers a wide range of situations, from losing objects and games to experiencing grief and financial decline. Japanese uses different words and structures depending on what is lost and the context.
To express that you can no longer find or have something you once possessed.
A formal noun meaning 'loss' of an item, often used in official contexts like reporting a lost item.
I reported the loss of my passport.
The most common verb for losing something. Transitive; the thing lost is marked with を.
I lost my wallet.
I've lost my keys.
Means 'to drop' or 'to lose' something by dropping it. Implies the item fell or was left behind.
I dropped (and lost) my commuter pass at the station.
A more literary or abstract verb for losing something, often used for intangible things or in set phrases. Can sound dramatic for everyday objects.
To lose trust.
To express defeat or failure to win.
The standard verb for losing a contest, game, or fight. Intransitive; the opponent or event is marked with に.
We lost the match.
I lost at rock-paper-scissors.
A formal noun meaning 'defeat' or 'loss', used in news or serious contexts.
A formal, somewhat literary verb for being defeated, often used in sports headlines.
To express grief or the state of being without someone due to death or parting.
Specifically refers to loss through death, often used in the context of bereavement.
He lost his wife (she passed away).
A formal, abstract noun for 'loss', often used in psychological or emotional contexts like 'sense of loss'.
A respectful verb for losing a family member or close person to death. The object is the person lost.
Can be used for losing a person, but often sounds dramatic or literary. More common for abstract losses.
To express a decrease in money, value, or quantity; the opposite of profit or gain.
The standard noun for financial or material loss. Used in business and economics.
The company posted a huge loss.
Literally 'red figures', meaning a deficit or being in the red. Common in everyday talk about budgets.
A casual noun/verb for loss or disadvantage, often used in phrases like 'at a loss' or 'lose out'.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to decrease' or 'to diminish'. Used for weight loss, reduction in numbers, etc.
To express the disappearance or deprivation of something intangible.
The most versatile verb for losing abstract things like trust, hope, consciousness, or rights.
Also used for abstract losses, but slightly more casual than 失う. Common with confidence, interest, etc.
Formal noun for loss, often used in compounds like 記憶喪失 (memory loss).
To express that you do not know where you are or how to get to your destination.
Noun meaning 'lost child' or being lost (especially for children). Also used metaphorically.
I got lost in the department store.
The standard phrase for losing one's way. Literally 'to be lost on the road'.
I've gotten lost.
Verb meaning 'to be lost' or 'to hesitate'. Can be used alone if context is clear.
Both mean 'to lose', but なくす is more common for concrete objects and casual situations, while 失う is preferred for abstract things (hope, trust, consciousness) and sounds more formal or emotional. For losing a person to death, 亡くす is the respectful choice.
English 'loss' is a noun, but Japanese often uses verbs or verb phrases instead. For example, 'I experienced a loss' is unnatural in Japanese; say 負けた (I lost) or なくした (I lost it) depending on context.
The loss of my keys was frustrating.
Natural Japanese uses the verb なくす rather than a noun for 'loss'.
チームは敗北を認めた。
The team admitted defeat.
王者が敗れた。
The champion was defeated.
喪失感に襲われる。
To be overcome by a sense of loss.
It's been 10 years since I lost my father.
最愛の人を失った。
I lost my beloved.
We're in the red this month.
That's a losing deal.
I lost weight.
I lost my confidence.
記憶喪失になる。
To suffer memory loss.
I got lost in the forest.