Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 損害 | songai | [sõ̞ŋɡa̠i] (narrow) |
| 痛手 | itade | [ita̠de̞] (narrow) |
| 損傷 | sonshō | [sõ̞ɰ̃ɕo̞ː] (narrow) |
Japanese uses different words for "damage" depending on whether the loss is monetary, physical or metaphorical. 損害 is used to refer to quantifiable or financial loss. To say "to cause damage" using this noun, use the verb phrase 損害を与える. You can also use the verbs 損なう or 傷付ける to mean making something less intact or causing destruction.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 損害 is composed of 損, meaning loss or decrease and 害, meaning harm or damage.
Which one should you use?
The forms in this language differ based on the type of damage being described. 損害 is used for legal, financial or official contexts involving quantifiable loss. In contrast, 損傷 describes physical damage or impairment to an object, an organ or a structure. For metaphorical damage, such as a heavy blow or a damaging setback in sports, politics or personal struggles, use 痛手.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
songai
Did you know?
- The term 痛手, meaning a damaging blow, literally translates to 'painful hand'.
- The word 損 in 損害 is also used in the phrase 損して得取れ, which advises taking a loss now to gain a larger profit later.
- The word 痛手 demonstrates a linguistic phenomenon called rendaku, where the sound of the second word shifts from 'te' to 'de' to make the phrase easier to pronounce.
Examples in context
- 損害は５００万円に上った。The damage amounted to five million yen.This sentence is useful for expressing the specific amount of damage using 損害.Tatoeba #139436 by bunbuku, translation #274551 by CK
- 損害は保険でカバーされた。The damage was covered by insurance.This sentence is useful for describing how damage was covered by insurance using 損害.Tatoeba #11362743 by bunbuku, translation #45578 by CK
- 霜が作物に大きな損害を与えた。The frost did a lot of damage to the crops.This sentence is useful for describing how frost caused damage to crops using 損害.Tatoeba #140271 by bunbuku, translation #1461056 by CK
- 私の車は大きな損害を受けました。My car sustained significant damage.
- 地震で多くの被害が発生しました。A lot of damage occurred due to the earthquake.
- この携帯電話にへこみがあります。This cell phone has a dent.
- テーブルに傷がついてしまった。The table got scratched.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are discussing a recent business setback.
- 美咲 Misaki今回の件による損害はどのくらいかな？Konkai no ken ni yoru songai wa dono kurai kana?How much damage was caused by this matter?
- 蓮 Ren数字で見ると、かなりの損害が出ているよ。Suuji de miru to, kanari no songai ga dete iru yo.Looking at the numbers, a significant amount of damage has occurred.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮さん、早急に復旧策を考えないと。Ren-san, sokkyuu ni fukkyuusaku o kangaenaito.Ren, we need to think of recovery measures immediately.
- 蓮 Renそうだね、すぐに報告書をまとめるよ。Sou dane, sugu ni houkokusho o matomeru yo.You're right, I'll put the report together right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “damage” translations and entries 損害, 痛手, 損傷, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 痛手, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
