失

Core sense is a "slip" or failure to maintain a hold, bridging the gap between physical accident and intellectual or moral lapse. This includes:

• Physical loss of possession via a lapse or mistake.
• Missing a mark (literally in archery, or metaphorically regarding standards and targets).
• The shedding or removal of ego or attachment (specifically in Daoist contexts).

• Transitive: To lose, miss, or neglect an object.
• Intransitive: To err, go wrong, or deviate from a required path/standard.
• Nominalization: In later strata, it may function as a noun referring to faults, shortcomings, or errors; in earlier texts, it is primarily used as an action.

• Contrast with 亡 (wáng): While 亡 denotes absolute disappearance or existential loss, 失 implies the act of letting go or failing to retain.
• Contrast with 過 (guò): While 過 often implies excess, transgression, or a substantial fault, 失 is more characteristic of a momentary lapse or neglect of duty.

When determining the specific shade of meaning, identify if the text describes:

1. A physical loss of possession.

2. A failure to hit a literal or metaphorical target.

3. A momentary lapse in judgment or duty.