Korean Dictionary
How to say "Loss" in Korean
“Loss” in Korean is 손실 (pronounced "sonsil").
손실
sonsil
Usage & Context
Financial deficit when expenses exceed revenue. Losses in Korean companies are reported to stakeholders. They may trigger strategic changes or restructuring.
Example Sentence
작년에 손실이 있었습니다.
There was a loss last year.
How to use 손실 naturally
Quick answer
The Korean word for “Loss” is 손실, romanized as sonsil.
Usage tip
Business Korean usually needs polite or formal endings, especially in emails, meetings, and customer situations.
Common mistake
Do not rely only on the English meaning. Read the Korean example sentence and notice the particles, word order, and politeness level around 손실.
Pronunciation Guide
The first syllable, '손' (son), sounds like 'sawn' (as in 'saw' + 'n'). The second syllable, '실' (sil), sounds like 'shill' (like 'she' + 'll'). The stress is fairly even, with a slight emphasis on the first syllable.
More Example Sentences
Reporting a company's financial performance.
회사는 작년에 큰 손실을 입었습니다.
The company incurred a huge loss last year.
Discussing personal investment outcomes.
이번 투자로 상당한 손실을 봤어요.
I saw significant losses from this investment.
Emphasizing data security in a technical discussion.
데이터 손실을 막기 위해 백업이 중요해요.
Backups are important to prevent data loss.
Cultural Context
While '손실' means 'loss', it's primarily used in business, financial, or technical contexts, such as 'financial loss' (재정 손실) or 'data loss' (데이터 손실). It's generally not used for emotional loss, like losing a loved one, which would involve different terms like '상실' or '슬픔'. In Korean corporate culture, reporting '손실' can be a very serious matter, often leading to strategic changes or restructuring.
Editorial note
We review business terms like 손실 for formality, so the example fits emails, meetings, or workplace conversations instead of casual speech.
Reviewed by Min-jung Park, Korean Language Teacher. Updated May 31, 2026. See our editorial standards.
Common Phrases
손실을 기록하다
To record a loss
손실을 줄이다
To reduce losses
손실 보상
Compensation for loss
Related Expressions
이익
iik
Profit (Antonym)
적자
jeokja
Deficit, in the red (Related concept)
손해
sonhae
Damage, harm, loss (Broader, can be non-financial)
손실액
sonsillaek
Amount of loss
More Business Words
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