失います（うしないます、ushinaimasu）
- to lose

The Japanese word 失います (うしないます) primarily means "to lose," "to miss," or "to forfeit." It describes the act of being deprived of something, whether it be a physical object, an opportunity, a feeling, or a quality. The meaning can vary depending on the context, but the core concept revolves around the absence of something previously possessed or desired. The verb is a polite form, often used in formal situations or when speaking to someone of higher status. 失います is the polite, present/future tense form. The plain form is 失う (うしなう).

⚫︎財布を失いました Translation: I lost my wallet. ⚫︎チャンスを失いました Translation: I missed/lost the chance. ⚫︎自信を失いました Translation: I lost my confidence.

This word is used in various situations where something is no longer present or accessible. You can use it to describe: ⚫︎Losing a physical object: 鍵を失いました (I lost my key.) ⚫︎Missing an opportunity: 良い機会を失いました (I missed a good opportunity.) ⚫︎Losing an abstract quality: 希望を失いました (I lost hope.) ⚫︎Failing to keep something: 試合に失いました (I lost the match.) It is generally used in formal situations or with people you need to show respect to.

⚫︎The verb is typically written using the kanji 失 (しつ), along with hiragana います (います) to form the polite verb. ⚫︎The hiragana reading is うしないます. ⚫︎The okurigana (the hiragana that follows the kanji) is います. ⚫︎Other forms of the word include: 失う (plain form), 失わない (negative form), 失った (past tense), and so on. 失います is the polite, present/future tense form.

⚫︎なくす (nakusu) - to lose (casual) ⚫︎落とす (otosu) - to drop, to lose (by dropping) ⚫︎見失う (mishinau) - to lose sight of, to miss ⚫︎損なう (sokonau) - to spoil, to damage (something valuable)

⚫︎得る (eru) - to gain, to obtain ⚫︎見つける (mitsukeru) - to find ⚫︎手に入れる (te ni ireru) - to obtain, to get

大切な書類を失いましたことに気がつきました。 ・Translation: I realized that I had lost the important documents. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the speaker’s realization that something of value (important documents) is now missing.

彼は試合に失いました。 ・Translation: He lost the game. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the outcome of the match, where someone has lost.

The kanji 失 (shitsu) combines elements related to "loss" and "departure." The origin reflects the idea of something disappearing or being removed. The verb form comes from the classical Japanese verb 失う (うしなう), which means "to lose." The polite form, 失います (うしないます), is formed by adding the polite suffix ます (masu) to the verb stem.