Components

Grammar detail: 損ねる(そこねる)

損ねる(そこねる)  miss (something); fail (to do something)
139 words
My current mastery of this grammar point:
LOG IN to view grammar mastery data
verb stem
+
そこ
ねる
means
miss the chance to do ~; fail to do ~
 
かれ
その
れっしゃ
列車
りそこねた

They missed the train.
そこ
ねる (also commonly written with kana only as そこねる) is a transitive verb meaning 'to harm' or 'to injure'. The implication here is that some action has been 'injured' or has otherwise failed.
This form is commonly used with several verbs, for example:
書く書き損ねるwrite incorrectly
言う言い損ねるfail to say; be unable to say
聞く聞き損ねるfail to hear (not mishear)
見る見損ねるoverlook (something); miss something (eg a game); misjudge (someone)
そこ
なう, the intransitive form, can also be used in this construction. The change in meaning is subtle: the transitive form implies a more literal physical failure to do something, whereas the intransitive is both figurative and literal.
Please LOG IN for free flashcards

Words used in this grammar

3
1. to harm; to hurt; to injure; to damage
auxiliary verb
2. to fail in doing
(click the word to view an additional 2 forms, useful expressions, examples and links)
3
ichidan verb, transitive verb
1. to harm; to hurt; to injure; to wreck
auxiliary verb
2. to miss one's chance to (do something); to fail to (do what one ought to have done)
(click the word for examples and links)

Kanji used in this grammar

ソン   そこなう    そこねる to injure, to harm   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ショ   か to write   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ゲン   ゴン   say; word   こと word, saying   い to say   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ブン   モン   き to listen, to hear   きこえる to be heard   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ケン   み to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
ヒ   かれ he   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
レツ    row   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
シャ   くるま car   
ジョウ   load; power   の to board   のせる to load on   
Please LOG IN to view this kanji's mnemonic
Problem with this grammar? Question or comment? Please CONTACT US.
Kanshudo is your AI Japanese tutor, and your constant companion on the road to mastery of the Japanese language. To get started learning Japanese, just follow the study recommendations on your Dashboard. You can use Quick search (accessible using the icon at the top of every page) to look up any Japanese word, kanji or grammar point, as well as to find anything on Kanshudo quickly. For an overview, take the tour.
×