In the last lesson, we looked at 得 and its array of awesome uses.

Writing that lesson, I was reminded of another word/kanji that has pretty much the opposite meaning:

In particular, I was reminded of the contrast between these two phrases:

得する
とくする
to make a profit; to get a good deal

損する
そんする
to lose; to suffer harm

I'm not going to say that they are exact opposites, but they are fun to learn together as a set.

Check out these rad sentences with 損 (そん), which all by itself means something like "loss; disadvantage:"

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投資で100万円損した。
とうし　で　ひゃくまん　えん　そん　した。
I lost 1 million yen investing. // I lost 1 million yen on a (bad) investment.
Literally: "investment + で + 100 ten thousand + yen + lost."

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みなきゃ損だよ！
みなきゃ　そん　だよ！
You're missing out if you don't watch it. // You have to watch it!
Literally: "if not watched + loss + だよ！"
Note: For example, you could say this if you're trying to convince someone why they MUST watch your favorite movie.

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A:
合コンどうだった？
ごうこん　どう　だった？
How was the gou-kon?
Literally: "gou-kon + how + was?"
Note: A 合コン is kind of like a group blind date, often with 3-4 guys and 3-4 girls, with one guy and girl knowing each other. Actually, the Toby in Tokyo story is a 合コン.

B:
つまんなかった。行って損した。
つまんなかった。 いって　そん　した。
It was boring. I shouldn't have gone. [It wasn't worth my time.]
Literally: "was boring. + went (and) + lost."

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A:
1000円あげるからiPad買って。
せん　えん　あげる　から　アイパッド　かって。
I'll give you 1,000 yen, so buy me an iPad.
Literally: "1000 + yen + give + because + iPad + buy."
Note: 1,000 yen is around $10. The nuance is that A is joking.

B:
それじゃあ俺が損だろ！
それじゃあ　おれ　が　そん　だろ！
That'd cost me money!
Literally: "in that case + I + が + loss + だろ！"

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いつもあたしばっかり損してる！
いつも　あたし　ばっかり　そん　してる！
I'm always the one losing out!
Literally: "always + I + only + am losing!"
Note: Sounds like something a negative person rather unhappy with life might say. *_*

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Finally, just like last time, let's look at a proverb.

Well, not quite a proverb, I guess. Just a common phrase:

正直者が損をする。
しょうじきもの　が　そん　を　する。
Honesty doesn't pay.
Literally: "honest person + が + loses."

If anything's a (Japanese) proverb, it's the following sentence, which is also quite common:

正直者がバカを見る。
しょうじきもの　が　ばか　を　みる。
The honest man is made a fool.
Literally: "honest person + が + fool + を + see."
Note: The phrase 馬鹿を見る（ばかをみる）means to experience some unpleasant thing as a result of being an honest person.