Japanese word

害する

Pronunciation

Romajigaisuru

Meaning

  • verbharm

Example

無理をすると体を害します。mu ri o su ru to karada o gai shi ma su

If you overwork, you harm your health.

Illustration for 害する (harm)

More examples

不注意な発言は相手の名誉を害します。fu chū i na hatsu gen wa ai te no mei yo o gai shi ma su

Careless remarks harm the other person's reputation.

Core concept

It describes causing someone's health, body, or another valued condition to become worse.

Common phrases

  • 健康を害するken kō o gai su ru

    harm one's health

  • 人を害するhito o gai su ru

    harm a person

  • 名誉を害するmei yo o gai su ru

    damage someone's reputation

Similar words

損なうsokonau: To reduce the health, usefulness, value, or good standing of something.
傷つけるkizutsukeru: To hurt a person physically or emotionally, or to damage the person's reputation.
損ねるsokoneru: To make health, trust, reputation, or another valued condition worse.
蝕むmushibamu: To gradually weaken health or another valued condition over time.

Definition in Japanese

人や物事に悪い影響を与え、健康や状態を損なう。hito ya mono goto ni waru i ei kyō o ata e ken kō ya jō tai o soko na u

Word origin

The verb 害する (gai suru) combines the Sino-Japanese noun 害 (gai, "harm") with する (suru, "do"), forming a verb that means to cause harm.

Usage tips

  • The formal verb 害する (gai suru) commonly appears in phrases such as 健康を害する (kenkō o gai suru), so it is more characteristic of formal writing than casual conversation.

Other meanings

  • damageverb
  • hurtverb
  • injureverb

Opposites

  • 益するekisurubenefitverb

Word lists with this word