Explore 失 through losing something, making a mistake and speaking politely. Learn its reading as part of each word.
The idea
失 has five strokes; follow the linked diagram. 失う（うしなう） means to lose something, while 失敗（しっぱい） means failure or a mistake. 失礼（しつれい） can mean rudeness or serve as a polite expression.
Examples
- 駅で財布を失いました。I lost my wallet at the station.
- 彼は去年仕事を失いました。He lost his job last year.
- 試験に失敗しました。I failed the exam.
- 失敗しましたが、もう一度挑戦します。I made a mistake, but I will try again.
- 失礼ですが、入ってもいいですか。Excuse me, may I come in?
- 人が話している間に携帯を見るのは失礼です。It is rude to look at your phone while someone is speaking.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
Do not give every word the same reading: 失う uses うしな, but 失敗 and 失礼 begin with しつ, with a small っ in しっぱい. 失礼ですが softens an interruption.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 失う in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
うしなう
失う is うしなう: the verb means to lose something, as in losing a job.
Write the reading of 失敗 in hiragana.
Show answer or example answer
しっぱい
失敗 is しっぱい: the small っ marks a pause before ぱ; 失敗する means to make a mistake or fail.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿礼（しつれい）［失／矢］.
Show answer or example answer
失
失 completes 失礼（しつれい）. 失礼ですが can introduce a polite interruption.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 失う in hiragana.
Write the reading of 失敗 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: ＿礼（しつれい）［失／矢］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
Sign up for free to save your practice results in your account.
Sign up to saveI already have an accountUse it today
Write 失 using the diagram, then cover the examples and make a sentence with 失う or 失敗.