败

• Pinyin: bài
• Hanzi breakdown: 败 = 贝 (shell/money) + 攵 (strike), meaning defeat — the image of striking wealth, leading to loss

Meaning

To lose; to be defeated; to fail. The opposite of winning or succeeding.

Used in competition, war, and general contexts of failure. Appears in many compounds: 失败 (fail), 打败 (defeat), 败坏 (corrupt), 腐败 (corruption). Can function as both a verb (to lose) and a component in adjectives describing decline or ruin.

Examples

1. 这次比赛我们队败了，但大家没有放弃。 Our team lost this match, but nobody gave up.
2. 在这场战争中，他们被彻底打败了。 In this war, they were thoroughly defeated.
3. 骄傲使人失败，谦虚使人进步。 Pride leads to failure; humility leads to progress.

Usage Guide

Context: competition, sports, general

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 胜败乃兵家常事，不要太在意。(Victory and defeat are common in battle — don't take it too hard.)
• 虽然这次败了，但我们学到了很多。(Although we lost this time, we learned a lot.)

Don't Say

• 说'我败了考试' (Don't say 败了考试 for failing an exam — use 没考好 or 考试不及格; 败 is for competitive defeats, not exam failure)

Origin & History

Composed of 贝 (shell, representing wealth) and 攵 (strike). Originally depicted striking or destroying wealth, conveying the idea of loss and defeat.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal