無くす (なくす, nakusu) Japanese meaning: lose | Kotomora

無なくす

な

く

す

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

無くす · godan verb (-su)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	無なくす	無なくさない
Polite	無なくします	無なくしません
Past polite	無なくしました	無なくしませんでした
Past	無なくした	無なくさなかった
Te-form	無なくして	無なくさないで
Desire	無なくしたい	無なくしたくない
Potential	無なくせる	無なくせない
Passive	無なくされる	無なくされない
Causative	無なくさせる	無なくさせない
Causative passive	無なくさせられる	無なくさせられない
Volitional	無なくそう
Polite volitional	無なくしましょう
Imperative	無なくせ	無なくすな
Conditional	無なくせば	無なくさなければ
Tara conditional	無なくしたら	無なくさなかったら

Pairs with無くなる

Meanings

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

lose; misplace

usually written using kana alone

Used when you can no longer find a physical object, or when you lose something abstract like a job or an opportunity.

駅えきで財さい布ふをなくした

Kanji

無nothingness, none, ain't
失lose, error, fault

Transitive / intransitive

無なくなるN4
無くなる is the intransitive form meaning something is lost or disappears on its own, while 無くす is transitive, meaning someone loses or eliminates something.

Related words· 6

失うしなうN3sense 1
失う is more formal and often used for abstract or serious losses (trust, life, a chance), while 無くす is the everyday word for misplacing objects or getting rid of things.
捨すてるN5sense 2
捨てる means to physically throw away or discard something, while 無くす in this sense means to eliminate an abstract problem, habit, or condition.
除のぞくN3sense 2
除く is a more formal, precise word for removing or excluding something, whereas 無くす is the general everyday verb for getting rid of a problem or bad habit.
消けすN5sense 2
消す emphasizes actively making something disappear (like erasing or turning off), while 無くす focuses on the result of no longer having or facing something.

Show 2 more

紛ふん失しつN1
なくす is the everyday verb for losing something, while 紛失 is the formal, document-style term used in business, police, and travel contexts.
落おとすN4
なくす focuses on no longer having something, while 落とす specifically suggests it slipped away or was dropped somewhere.

Opposites

見みつけるN4sense 1
見つける means to find something, the direct opposite of 無くす's meaning of losing or misplacing an object.
残のこすN4sense 2
残す means to leave or keep something, the opposite of 無くす's sense of eliminating or getting rid of something.

Don't confuse with

落おとすN4sense 1
落とす describes the act of dropping or letting something fall (often causing the loss), while 無くす describes the resulting state of not being able to find something.
亡なくすN2
無くす means to lose an object, ability, or abstract thing, while 亡くす is used only for losing a person through death.

Word family

なくして
without; if it were not for
なくしては
without; if it were not for

Written forms

無なくすUsage11%
Standard kanji spelling; it is the primary form.
なくすUsage82%
Kana spelling is common and often preferred in everyday writing; usually written in kana.
失なくすUsage7%
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; not standard.

Etymology

Derived from the adjective 無い (ない, 'not exist') with the verb-forming suffix くす, which indicates making something become that state. The kanji 無 means 'nothing' or 'without'.

Meanings

Usage patterns