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無くす (なくす) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

無なくす

な

く

す

Common wordJLPTN5Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

usually written using kana alone

Used when you can no longer find a physical object, or when you lose something abstract like a job or an opportunity.

駅えきで財さい布ふをなくした。
I lost my wallet at the station.
彼かれは仕し

事ごと

を

なくし

て

しまっ

た

。

He lost his job.

2

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

get rid of; eliminate; remove

usually written using kana alone

Used for deliberately removing, abolishing, or eradicating something undesirable, such as a problem, a bad habit, or an obstacle.

無む駄だをなくす努ど力りょくが必ひつ要ようだ。
We need to make an effort to eliminate waste.
彼かれは悪わるい癖くせをなくしたいと思おもっている。
He wants to get rid of his bad habit.

Written forms

無なくすUsage11%
Standard kanji spelling; it is the primary form.
なくすUsage82%
Kana spelling is common and often preferred in everyday writing; usually written in kana.
失なくすUsage7%
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; not standard.

Kanji

無nothingness, none, ain't
失lose, error, fault

Similar words

失うしなう
失う is more formal and often used for abstract losses (trust, hope, life) or permanent loss, while なくす is more casual and commonly used for misplacing objects or eliminating things.
無なくなる
無くなる is the intransitive counterpart meaning 'to be lost' or 'to disappear', while 無くす is transitive and means 'to lose' or 'to get rid of'.

Etymology

Derived from the adjective 無い (ない, 'not exist') with the verb-forming suffix くす, which indicates making something become that state. The kanji 無 means 'nothing' or 'without'.