丢

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 丢 (diū) is composed of two parts: the radical 扌(shǒu), which represents the hand, and the phonetic component 丢 (diū). The radical 扌 indicates that the character is related to an action performed by the hand, while the phonetic component 丢 provides a clue to its pronunciation.The original meaning of 丢 was "to throw away" or "to discard". This meaning is still preserved in modern Chinese, as in the phrase 丢垃圾 (dīu lājī), which means "to throw away trash". However, 丢 can also be used in a more figurative sense, to mean "to lose" or "to miss". For example, the phrase 丢了钱包 (diūle qiánbāo) means "to lose one's wallet".In addition to its literal meaning, 丢 can also be used in a more abstract sense, to refer to a sense of loss or regret. For example, the phrase 丢了面子 (diūle miànzi) means "to lose face" or "to be embarrassed".The character 丢 is a versatile character that can be used in a variety of contexts. It is an important character to learn for HSK learners, as it is used in many common phrases and expressions.