敗れる

• Reading: やぶれる
• Romaji: yabureru
• Kanji breakdown: 敗 (yabu/hai) — to be defeated, to lose
• Pronunciation: /ja.bɯ.ɾe.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To be defeated; to lose. Used in competition, battle, or any contest where one side is beaten.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb. Distinct from 破れる (to tear/break), which is a homophone. 敗れる specifically means to lose in a competition or conflict. Common pattern: AにBで敗れる (to be defeated by A in B). Often seen in sports, elections, and historical contexts.

Examples

1. 決勝戦で強豪チームに敗れた。 We were defeated by a powerhouse team in the finals.
2. 選挙で現職に敗れて、引退を決意した。 After losing to the incumbent in the election, he decided to retire.
3. 何度敗れても、諦めずに挑戦し続けた。 No matter how many times he was defeated, he never gave up and kept on challenging.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, competition, politics

Tone: somber

Origin & History

The kanji 敗 combines 貝 (shell/treasure) and 攵 (to strike), originally meaning to destroy valuables — extended to mean defeat or failure.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal