Readings: ソン (Onyomi), そこなう, そこねる (Kunyomi)
Meaning: loss, damage, disadvantage
The kanji 損 combines the radical 扌 (tehen, meaning hand or action) with the phonetic component 員 (in), which suggests something round or complete. Together, it conveys the idea of an action (hand) that reduces or diminishes something, leading to loss or damage.
View JLPT N2 Kanji ListHow to Write – Stroke Order
The kanji 損 has 11 strokes. The radical 扌 (tehen) is drawn first on the left, followed by the right component.
Kanji Details
| Radical | 手 (扌) |
|---|---|
| Strokes | 11 |
| JLPT Level | N2 |
| Grade | Ungraded (outside Joyo) |
Readings with English Transcription
Onyomi (Chinese readings)
- ソン (Son)
Kunyomi (Japanese readings)
- そこなう (sokonau)
- そこねる (sokoneru)
Common Words Using 損
Onyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 損失 | そんしつ | loss (financial, etc.) |
| 損害 | そんがい | damage, loss |
| 損益 | そんえき | profit and loss |
| 損得 | そんとく | gain and loss, advantage and disadvantage |
| 破損 | はそん | damage, breakage |
| 減損 | げんそん | impairment loss, depreciation |
| 損料 | そんりょう | rent, charges for damages |
| 損傷 | そんしょう | damage, injury |
| 損切 | そんぎり | stop-loss (in trading) |
| 損気 | そんき | losing money (colloquial) |
Kunyomi Readings
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 損なう | そこなう | to harm, to damage, to spoil, to impair |
| 損ねる | そこねる | to damage, to harm, to spoil, to hurt feelings |
| 気を損なう | きをそこなう | to offend, to hurt someone’s feelings |
| 評判を損なう | ひょうばんをそこなう | to damage one’s reputation |
| 健康を損なう | けんこうをそこなう | to damage one’s health |
| 見損なう | みそこなう | to misjudge, to fail to see |
| 聞き損なう | ききそこなう | to mishear, to fail to hear |
| 取り損なう | とりそこなう | to fail to catch, to drop |
| 言い損なう | いいそこなう | to misspeak, to say something wrong |
| 逃し損なう | のがしそこなう | to miss an opportunity |
Example Sentences
Japanese: 会社は大きな損失を出しました。
Kana: かいしゃはおおきなそんしつをだしました。
Romaji: Kaisha wa ōkina sonshitsu o dashimashita.
English: The company incurred a large loss.
Japanese: この災害で多大な損害が出た。
Kana: このさいがいでただいなそんがいがでた。
Romaji: Kono saigai de tadai na songai ga deta.
English: There was extensive damage from this disaster.
Japanese: 彼は過労で健康を損ねた。
Kana: かれはかろうでけんこうをそこねた。
Romaji: Kare wa karō de kenkō o sokoneta.
English: He damaged his health due to overwork.
Japanese: そんな言い方をしたら、相手の気持ちを損ねてしまうよ。
Kana: そんないいかたをしたら、あいてのきもちをそこねてしまうよ。
Romaji: Sonna iikata o shitara, aite no kimochi o sokonete shimau yo.
English: If you speak like that, you’ll hurt the other person’s feelings.
Japanese: この投資は損得を考えずに決めるべきだ。
Kana: このとうしはそんとくをかんがえずにきめるべきだ。
Romaji: Kono tōshi wa sontoku o kangaezu ni kimeru beki da.
English: You should decide on this investment without considering gains and losses.
Japanese: 古いカメラなので、レンズに破損がある。
Kana: ふるいカメラなので、レンズにはそんがある。
Romaji: Furui kamera nanode, renzu ni hason ga aru.
English: Since it’s an old camera, the lens has damage.
Japanese: 彼の行為は会社の評判を損なうものだ。
Kana: かれのこういはかいしゃのひょうばんをそこなうものだ。
Romaji: Kare no kōi wa kaisha no hyōban o sokonau mono da.
English: His actions will damage the company’s reputation.
Japanese: 株で大損してしまった。
Kana: かぶでおおぞんしてしまった。
Romaji: Kabu de ōzon shite shimatta.
English: I lost a lot of money in stocks.
Japanese: 彼をまさかそんな人だとは見損なっていた。
Kana: かれをまさかそんなひとだとはみそこなっていた。
Romaji: Kare o masaka sonna hito da to wa misonatteita.
English: I never would have thought he was that kind of person; I misjudged him.
Japanese: 彼はチャンスを逃し損ねた。
Kana: かれはチャンスをのがしそこねた。
Romaji: Kare wa chansu o nogashisokoneta.
English: He narrowly missed the chance.
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