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損ねる (そこねる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N1 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
ichidan verb, transitive verb
harm ; hurt ; injure ; damage
Used for causing physical or psychological harm, or damaging something's condition or reputation. Often implies a negative effect on health, feelings, or quality.
彼かれ
の
一ひと
言こと
が
彼かの
女じょ
の
気き
分ぶん
を
損そこ
ね
た
。
His single remark hurt her feelings.
2
ichidan verb, auxiliary verb
miss the chance to ; fail to
Attaches to the continuative form (連用形) of verbs to express missing an opportunity or failing to do something one should have done. Often carries a nuance of regret.
Written forms 損そこ ねる Usage 73%
Standard kanji spelling for both the independent verb and the auxiliary use.
そこねる Usage 27%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially for the auxiliary sense.
Kanji 損 damage, loss, disadvantage Similar words 損そこ なう 損なう also means 'to harm' or 'to damage', but is more formal and often used in written language. As an auxiliary, 損なう attaches to the continuative form similarly, but 損ねる is more common in spoken Japanese for the 'fail to' sense.
逃のが す 逃す means 'to miss' or 'to let escape', focusing on losing an opportunity or failing to catch something. 損ねる emphasizes the failure to perform an action one intended or should have done.
Etymology Derived from the verb 損なう (そこなう, 'to harm, to damage') with a shift in conjugation. The auxiliary use developed from the sense of 'doing something in a harmful or incomplete way', leading to the meaning 'fail to do'.
