失う

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 失う is read as うしなう and is a verb meaning to lose something previously possessed, including an object, person, opportunity, or confidence.
• Basic usage: Use 財布を失う for losing a wallet and 自信を失う for losing confidence; the verb works with both concrete and abstract objects.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Difference between 失う and なくす
  • The former readily covers abstract losses such as life, trust, or opportunity, whereas the latter is common in everyday speech for misplacing an object or making something disappear.