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丢掉 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
丢掉diūdiàoto loseHSK 7, unknown, 17 strokes, rank #3778, Very Hard
丢掉diūdiàoto throw awayHSK 7, unknown, 17 strokes, rank #3778, Very Hard
丢掉diūdiàoto discardHSK 7, unknown, 17 strokes, rank #3778, Very Hard
丢掉diūdiàoto cast awayHSK 7, unknown, 17 strokes, rank #3778, Very Hard
diūdiào(diu1diao4)diu diao T1
  1. 1to lose
  2. 2to throw away
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March 24, 2026

丢掉(丟掉)diūdiào(diu1diao4)

丢掉 means to lose something or to throw it away. It is commonly used in both physical contexts, such as discarding trash, and abstract contexts, like losing an opportunity or feeling. The term conveys a sense of letting go or abandoning something no longer needed.

Strokes17Frequency#3778DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the act of discarding items is often associated with the practice of decluttering, which is gaining popularity in urban areas as people strive for minimalism and a tidier living space, reflecting modern values of efficiency.

Memory tip

Imagine you're ‘throwing away’ a ‘dui’ (a slang for 'to lose' in some dialects) item into a ‘diao’ (meaning to drop it) basket. Visualize the action of tossing something into the trash while saying ‘丢掉’ to reinforce both the meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 丢掉

diūdiào(diu1diao4)
1to lose
2to throw away
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About 丢掉

丢掉Simplified
丟掉Traditional
17Strokes
—Radical
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2

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Podcast: 丢掉

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AI Study Notes for 丢掉

Quick Contrast

丢弃 (diūqì) vs 丢掉 (diūdiào): use 丢掉 when emphasizing the act of throwing something away, while 丢弃 can imply a more general sense of discarding without the same emphasis on physical action.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 丢掉 with just 丢, which means to lose but not necessarily to discard. 丢掉 is more about intentional action. It is often used in informal spoken Chinese, so ensure the context fits when using it in writing.

HSK Study Tips

丢掉 is not in the official HSK vocabulary lists, but it connects well with other HSK 2-3 words related to actions like 扔 (to throw) and 捡 (to pick up). Focus on understanding the context in which you would lose or discard things to improve usage.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 丢掉 with just 丢, using it incorrectly in contexts where intentional discarding is implied. For example, saying '我丢这本书' (I lose this book) instead of '我丢掉这本书' (I throw away this book).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 丢掉

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Component Characters

丢diūto lose
HSK 36 strokes一
View full entry
掉diàoto fall
HSK 411 strokes扌
View full entry

How to say to lose in Chinese

“to lose” in Chinese is丢掉diūdiào

丢掉 means to lose something or to throw it away. It is commonly used in both physical contexts, such as discarding trash, and abstract contexts, like losing an opportunity or feeling. The term conveys a sense of letting go or abandoning something no longer needed.

When to use 丢掉

Be careful not to confuse 丢掉 with just 丢, which means to lose but not necessarily to discard. 丢掉 is more about intentional action. It is often used in informal spoken Chinese, so ensure the context fits when using it in writing.

丢掉 or something close to it

丢弃 (diūqì) vs 丢掉 (diūdiào): use 丢掉 when emphasizing the act of throwing something away, while 丢弃 can imply a more general sense of discarding without the same emphasis on physical action.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 丢掉 with just 丢, using it incorrectly in contexts where intentional discarding is implied. For example, saying '我丢这本书' (I lose this book) instead of '我丢掉这本书' (I throw away this book).

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丢
掉

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Frequently Asked Questions about 丢掉

Yes, you can use 丢掉 for intangible things like opportunities, feelings, or habits, e.g., '我想丢掉这个坏习惯' (I want to discard this bad habit).

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