Present and future
now, habits, and what is to come
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| AffirmativeI lose | ||
| NegativeI don’t lose |
JAPANESE VERB
うしなう
失う
to lose, something or someone
- Godan verb (u-verb)
Conjugation
Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.
Past
finished actions
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| AffirmativeI lost | ||
| NegativeI didn’t lose |
Te-form
て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| て-formlosing, and… | ||
| Doing now (て います)I am losing | ||
| Please (て ください)please lose |
Potential
可能形 · “can”
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| AffirmativeI can lose | ||
| NegativeI can’t lose |
Want to
たい形 · “want to”
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| AffirmativeI want to lose | ||
| NegativeI don’t want to lose |
Volitional
意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| Let’slet’s lose |
Conditional
条件形 · “if” and “when”
- If (ば) if I lose
- If, when (たら) if I lose
Commands and requests
命令形 · from gentle to blunt
- Do it (なさい) lose (do it)
- Plain command lose!
- Please don’t please don’t lose
Passive and causative
受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”
| Form | Polite | Plain |
|---|---|---|
| PassiveI am lost | ||
| CausativeI make someone lose |
How to use うしなう
One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.
-
Present and future
うそ を つけば、 しんよう を うしないます。
If you lie, you lose people's trust.
-
Past
となり の かぞく は、 かじ で いえ を うしなった。
The family next door lost their house in the fire.
-
Te-form
かれ は、 じこ で きおく を うしなって いる。
He has lost his memory in the accident.
-
Potential
いま の しごと だけ は、 うしなえません。
My current job is the one thing I can't lose.
-
Want to
この なかま たち を、 ぜったい に うしないたく ない。
I never want to lose these friends.
-
Volitional
なに を うしなおう と、 かぞく が いれば いい。
Whatever I lose, as long as I have my family, it's fine.
-
Conditional
しんよう を うしなえば、 とりもどす の は たいへん だ。
If you lose trust, getting it back is hard.
-
Commands and requests
どんな とき も、 きぼう を うしなわないで ください。
Whatever happens, please don't lose hope.
-
Passive and causative
たいふう で、 おおく の はたけ が うしなわれた。
Many fields were lost to the typhoon.
Good to know
- うしなう is to lose for good, and sounds serious: しんよう を うしなう, trust; かぞく を うしなう. Losing your keys is なくす; losing a match is まける.
- きおく を うしなう, to lose your memory; いしき を うしなう, to lose consciousness.
Where you hear うしなう
The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.
Japanese · Fluency Level 1
- まいとし、 せんせい を ひとり うしないます。 Every year we lose one teacher.
- けっこん で、 せんせい を ふたり うしないました。 We lost two teachers to marriage.
- らいねん、 また ひとり うしないます ね。 Next year we'll lose one more.
Verbs like this one
The same pattern, on other verbs: godan verb (u-verb).