English–Chinese
“be lost” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinshī chuán
Example
他的秘诀因为没有记录而失传了。tā de mì jué yīn wèi méi yǒu jì lù ér shī chuán le
His secret was lost because it was not recorded.
How to say “be lost” in Chinese
“Be lost” in Chinese is 失传 (shī chuán).
A skill, idea, or custom vanishes when its chain of transmission breaks.
Example sentences with 失传
那种小镇方言已经完全失传，只有老人还能记得几句。nà zhǒng xiǎo zhèn fāng yán yǐ jīng wán quán shī chuán zhí yǒu lǎo rén hái néng jì de jǐ jù
That small-town dialect has completely died out, and only the elderly can still remember a few phrases.
Tips for using 失传
- In conversation, pairing it with 已经 (yǐjīng, "already") or 快要 (kuàiyào, "be about to") shows whether the loss has happened or is near.