なくす
なくす
verb (godan)
to lose, to get rid of
1.
to lose
To misplace or fail to find something.
財布をなくした。
I lost my wallet.
鍵をなくした。
I lost my keys.
パスポートをなくして困った。
I had trouble because I lost my passport.
大切な物をなくした。
I lost something important.
携帯をなくしてしまった。
I ended up losing my phone.
2.
to get rid of, to eliminate
To remove or abolish something.
無駄をなくす。
To eliminate waste.
差別をなくす。
To eliminate discrimination.
悪い習慣をなくす。
To get rid of bad habits.
事故をなくす努力をする。
To make an effort to eliminate accidents.
不満をなくす方法を考える。
To think of ways to eliminate dissatisfaction.
なくす has two meanings: to lose (misplace) and to eliminate.
TRANSITIVITY:
- Type: 他動詞 (transitive)
- Pair: なくなる (intransitive - to disappear, run out)
MEANING 1 - TO LOSE:
- 財布をなくす: to lose one's wallet
- 鍵をなくす: to lose one's keys
MEANING 2 - TO ELIMINATE:
- 無駄をなくす: to eliminate waste
- 差別をなくす: to eliminate discrimination
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION:
- なくす (失くす): to lose an object
- 亡くす: to lose someone (through death)
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 〜をなくしてしまう: to end up losing ~
- 〜をなくさないように: so as not to lose ~