失う（うしなう）
JLPT N3 · Godan verb (Group 1)
Pitch accent: heiban (flat) — starts low, then stays high with no drop
Meaning: to lose
Conjugation
| Form | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| masu-form (polite) | 失います | うしないます |
| te-form | 失って | うしなって |
| ta-form (past) | 失った | うしなった |
| nai-form (negative) | 失わない | うしなわない |
| potential form | 失える | うしなえる |
Example sentences
- 災害で家を失った人を支える。 — I support people who lost their homes in the disaster.
- 自信を失わずに挑戦を続ける。 — I keep taking on challenges without losing confidence.
Idioms & proverbs containing “失う”
- 金を貸せば友を失う (かねをかせばともをうしなう) — lend your money and lose your friend
- 度を失う (どをうしなう) — to lose one's presence of mind; to lose one's composure; to lose one's head; to get flustered
- 言葉を失う (ことばをうしなう) — to become speechless; to be at a loss for words
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “失う” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)