損なう · godan verb (-u)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 損なう | 損なわない |
| Polite | 損ないます | 損ないません |
| Past polite | 損ないました | 損ないませんでした |
| Past | 損なった | 損なわなかった |
| Te-form | 損なって | 損なわないで |
| Desire | 損ないたい | 損ないたくない |
| Potential | 損なえる | 損なえない |
| Passive | 損なわれる | 損なわれない |
| Causative | 損なわせる | 損なわせない |
| Causative passive | 損なわせられるalso 損なわされる | 損なわせられないalso 損なわされない |
| Volitional | 損なおう | |
| Polite volitional | 損ないましょう | |
| Imperative | 損なえ | 損なうな |
| Conditional | 損なえば | 損なわなければ |
| Tara conditional | 損なったら | 損なわなかったら |
godan verb (-u), transitive verb
Transitive verb for damaging health, value, appearance, reputation, mood, or the proper condition of something. Often slightly more written or formal than everyday words like 傷つける or だめにする.
睡眠不足は健康を損なう。
Lack of sleep harms your health.
急な開発で町の景観が損なわれた。
The sudden development spoiled the townscape.
fail to do; do badly; miss the chance to do
Only when written 損なう
Suffix-like use after the masu-stem of another verb, as in 食べ損なう or 押し損なう. It means that the intended action was not completed, was mishandled, or the opportunity was missed.
忙しくて昼ご飯を食べ損なった。
I was so busy that I missed the chance to eat lunch.
ボタンを押し損なって、録画できなかった。
I failed to press the button properly, so I couldn't record it.
almost do; come close to doing
Only when written 損なう
Suffix-like use after a masu-stem for nearly ending up doing something, especially in fixed or limited expressions such as 死に損なう. Depending on context it can also sound rough, self-deprecating, or imply that an expected outcome failed to happen.
あの事故で私は死に損なった。
I nearly died in that accident.
That remark damaged the company's reputation.
I failed to send an important email.
His one remark ended up spoiling everyone's mood.
Adding too much seasoning ruins the natural flavor of the ingredients.
Careless language spoils the impression you give.
傷つける is the everyday word for hurting or damaging something physically or emotionally, while 損なう is a bit more formal and often used in writing.
損なう means to harm or spoil something like health or mood through a specific action, while 蝕む describes a slow, insidious process of erosion or undermining over time.
fail to do; make a mistake in doing; miss doing
blunder; failure; mistake
Rare kanji spelling, as rarely used; mainly understandable for the harm or damage sense, not recommended for normal writing.