23724
These two words, 無【な】くす and 失【うしな】う, seem to be very similar in meaning, but
i'm not sure of the difference. Can someone please explain? Here are some
examples:

> 彼【かれ】は時々【ときどき】希望【きぼう】を失う【うしな】。 He sometimes loses hope.
>
> 失【うしな】うものは何【なに】もない。 You have nothing to lose.
>
> 新【あたら】しい政府【せいふ】は国【くに】から腐敗【ふはい】を無【な】くすと約束【やくそく】した。 The new government
> promised to rid the country of corruption.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-10T07:05:08.097
23704
2015-04-11T14:45:58.977
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
-1
9696
question
word-choice words
What's the difference between 無【な】くす and 失【うしな】う
Generally speaking, 「無くす」 would be a more versatile word than 「失う」 as the
latter is a more nuanced word. While 「無くす」 is an everyday word that even
toddlers can use actively and correctly, you will not see small kids using the
word 「失う」 in real life. I think it safe to say that 「失う」 is used more often in
writing than in speaking.

Only 「無くす」 can be used to talk about losing "little tangible" items such as a
book, keys, hat, cellphone, umbrella, etc. You would sound incredibly weird if
you used 「失う」 instead.

To talk about losing more important things, tangible or intangible, you can
basically use either word as long as you remember that 「無くす」 would tend to
make it sound more conversational. Those items would include a house, job,
life, confidence, rights, etc.

As shown in your last example, only 「無くす」 can be used to talk about making
something unnecessary or evil disappear by human effort. 「失う」 cannot be used
there at all. 「失う」 can only be used to talk about losing something you did not
want to lose.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-04-11T14:45:58.977
23724
2015-04-11T14:45:58.977
23704
answer