shānghài: 伤害 - To Hurt, Injure, Harm

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• Summary: Discover the meaning of 伤害 (shānghài), a crucial Chinese verb for “to hurt,” “injure,” or “harm.” This page breaks down how 伤害 (shānghài) is used to describe everything from a physical injury to deep emotional damage. Learn the cultural significance of hurting someone's feelings in China, see practical examples, and understand the key difference between 伤害 (shānghài) (to inflict harm) and 疼 (téng) (to feel pain).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shāng hài
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To injure, to harm, or to hurt (physically or emotionally).
• In a Nutshell: 伤害 (shānghài) is the action of causing harm. Think of it as the verb “to hurt” in English. It's not the feeling of pain itself, but the act that leads to it. It can be used for physical attacks, like hurting an animal, or more commonly in modern conversation, for emotional attacks, like hurting someone's feelings with harsh words. It implies one party actively causing damage to another.

• 伤 (shāng): This character means “to wound” or “an injury.” The radical on the left (亻) is a variation of 人 (rén), meaning “person.” The character suggests a person who has been wounded. It focuses on the resulting injury.
• 害 (hài): This character means “to harm,” “to damage,” or “evil.” The top part (宀) is the “roof” radical, suggesting something happening within a space or domain. The character implies an active process of causing misfortune or damage.
• Together, 伤 (the wound) + 害 (the act of harming) create 伤害 (shānghài), a powerful and complete term for the act of inflicting an injury or causing harm, covering both the action and its damaging result.

In Western cultures, the phrase “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is a common childhood lesson, suggesting a clear hierarchy where physical harm is worse than verbal harm. In Chinese culture, this is not necessarily the case. 伤害 (shānghài), especially in the form of 伤害感情 (shānghài gǎnqíng - to hurt feelings), is taken very seriously. Chinese culture places immense value on social harmony, interpersonal relationships (关系 guānxi), and “face” (面子 miànzi). A verbal attack that causes someone to lose face or damages a relationship can be seen as a profound act of aggression. For a learner, it's critical to understand that saying something that could 伤害 someone's feelings is not a minor offense. It can have lasting consequences on your relationship with that person, their family, or even their social network. This is why communication is often more indirect and careful, to avoid causing this kind of harm. The concept is less about “being too sensitive” and more about “maintaining fundamental social harmony.”

伤害 (shānghài) is a versatile verb used in many contexts, from daily conversation to formal reports.

• Emotional Hurt (Most Common): This is its most frequent use in conversation. It's what you say when someone's words or actions have deeply upset you.
  • e.g., “Your criticism really hurt him.” (你的批评很伤害他。)
• Physical Harm: It can describe causing a physical injury, though often in the context of a deliberate act. It's common in warnings or commands.
  • e.g., “Do not harm the small animals.” (不要伤害小动物。)
• Abstract Damage: The term can be extended to abstract concepts like reputation, interests, or the environment. This usage is common in news, business, and formal settings.
  • e.g., “This scandal will harm the company's image.” (这个丑闻会伤害公司的形象。)

Its connotation is almost always negative. The formality depends on the context; it can be used in a very personal, emotional argument or in a formal legal document.

• Example 1:
  • 对不起，我不是故意要伤害你的。
  • Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, wǒ bùshì gùyì yào shānghài nǐ de.
  • English: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you.
  • Analysis: A classic apology for causing emotional hurt. Note the use of 故意 (gùyì - intentionally).
• Example 2:
  • 他的话深深地伤害了我的感情。
  • Pinyin: Tā de huà shēnshēn de shānghài le wǒ de gǎnqíng.
  • English: His words deeply hurt my feelings.
  • Analysis: A very common and strong phrase. 深深地 (shēnshēn de) means “deeply,” emphasizing the severity of the emotional wound. 感情 (gǎnqíng) means “feelings.”
• Example 3:
  • 我们不应该伤害无辜的动物。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bù yìnggāi shānghài wúgū de dòngwù.
  • English: We should not harm innocent animals.
  • Analysis: Here, 伤害 clearly refers to physical harm. It's a command or statement of principle.
• Example 4:
  • 吸烟会伤害你的健康。
  • Pinyin: Xīyān huì shānghài nǐ de jiànkāng.
  • English: Smoking will harm your health.
  • Analysis: This shows 伤害 used for causing damage to an abstract but personal concept: 健康 (jiànkāng - health).
• Example 5:
  • 你这样做会伤害我们之间的友谊。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zhèyàng zuò huì shānghài wǒmen zhījiān de yǒuyì.
  • English: Doing this will damage the friendship between us.
  • Analysis: This illustrates harm to a relationship, 友谊 (yǒuyì - friendship), which is a very serious matter.
• Example 6:
  • 恶意谣言对他的名誉造成了很大的伤害。
  • Pinyin: Èyì yáoyán duì tā de míngyù zàochéngle hěn dà de shānghài.
  • English: The malicious rumors caused great damage to his reputation.
  • Analysis: Here, 伤害 is used as a noun, “harm” or “damage.” The structure 对…造成伤害 (duì… zàochéng shānghài) means “to cause harm to…” and is very common.
• Example 7:
  • 我永远不会做任何伤害家人的事。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ yǒngyuǎn bù huì zuò rènhé shānghài jiārén de shì.
  • English: I will never do anything to harm my family.
  • Analysis: A strong declaration of loyalty. 伤害 is used as a verb modifying 事 (shì - thing/matter).
• Example 8:
  • 你觉得我刚才说的话伤害到他了吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ juéde wǒ gāngcái shuō de huà shānghài dào tā le ma?
  • English: Do you think what I just said hurt him?
  • Analysis: A worried question. The resultative complement 到 (dào) emphasizes that the action of hurting “reached” its target.
• Example 9:
  • 保护环境，不要伤害我们唯一的地球。
  • Pinyin: Bǎohù huánjìng, bùyào shānghài wǒmen wéiyī de dìqiú.
  • English: Protect the environment, don't harm our only Earth.
  • Analysis: A large-scale, abstract use of 伤害, common in public service announcements.
• Example 10:
  • 有时候，沉默比语言更伤害人。
  • Pinyin: Yǒu shíhòu, chénmò bǐ yǔyán gèng shānghài rén.
  • English: Sometimes, silence is more hurtful than words.
  • Analysis: A philosophical sentence showing the versatility of the concept of “harm.”

The most critical mistake for learners is confusing 伤害 (shānghài) with words that describe the feeling of pain.

• False Friends: “To Hurt” vs. “It Hurts”
  • 伤害 (shānghài): The verb for inflicting harm. Use this when someone or something is hurting another thing.
    • Correct: 他伤害了我。(Tā shānghài le wǒ.) - He hurt me.
  • 疼 (téng) / 痛 (tòng): The adjective/stative verb for feeling pain. Use this to say something hurts or is painful.
    • Correct: 我的头很疼。(Wǒ de tóu hěn téng.) - My head hurts.
    • Correct: 我的心很痛。(Wǒ de xīn hěn tòng.) - My heart aches (I'm heartbroken).
• Common Mistake: Saying “我伤害了” (Wǒ shānghài le) when you mean “I am hurt.”
  • INCORRECT: 我伤害了。 (Wǒ shānghài le.) - This literally means “I have harmed (someone/something).” It's an incomplete sentence and implies you are the one causing harm.
  • CORRECT (Physical): 我受伤了。(Wǒ shòushāng le.) - I got injured / I was hurt. (受伤 shòushāng means “to receive an injury”).
  • CORRECT (Emotional): 我很难过。(Wǒ hěn nánguò.) - I'm very sad/upset.

• 受伤 (shòu shāng) - The passive form, “to be injured” or “to get hurt.” This is what happens to the person who is the object of 伤害.
• 疼 (téng) - The physical sensation of pain, an ache. More common for external, sharp pains like a headache or a cut.
• 痛 (tòng) - The physical or emotional sensation of pain, often deeper or more intense than 疼. Used for stomachaches (肚子痛) and heartache (心痛).
• 损害 (sǔnhài) - To damage or harm, but often used for more formal or legal contexts, like harming one's interests (利益), reputation (名誉), or property.
• 危害 (wēihài) - To endanger or jeopardize. This word carries a sense of future threat or danger, not just immediate harm.
• 攻击 (gōngjī) - To attack or assault. This is often the action that leads to 伤害.
• 欺负 (qīfu) - To bully or to pick on. A specific type of repeated action intended to 伤害 someone weaker.
• 难过 (nánguò) - To be sad or upset. This is a common emotional state after being the recipient of emotional 伤害.
• 感情 (gǎnqíng) - Feelings, emotions, affection. The most common thing to be hurt in the phrase 伤害感情.
• 面子 (miànzi) - “Face” or social dignity. Actions that cause 伤害 often result in a loss of 面子.