失敗する

• Reading: しっぱいする
• Romaji: shippai suru
• Kanji breakdown: 失 (shitsu/ushina) — lose, miss; 敗 (hai/yabu) — defeat, failure
• Pronunciation: /ɕip.paꜜi.sɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To fail; to make a mistake. Describes not achieving a desired result or making an error.

A Group 3 (irregular) する verb formed from the noun 失敗 (failure). The opposite of 成功する. Common in everyday speech when talking about mistakes, botched attempts, or unsuccessful outcomes. Often paired with に to indicate what one failed at.

Examples

1. 料理に失敗して、全部焦がしてしまった。 I messed up the cooking and burned everything.
2. 失敗しても、もう一度やってみよう。 Even if you fail, let's try again.
3. 彼女はテストに失敗したが、あきらめなかった。 She failed the test, but she didn't give up.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, work, study

Tone: negative

Origin & History

Compound of 失 (shitsu/ushina) meaning lose and 敗 (hai/yabu) meaning defeat. Literally means losing and being defeated — a thorough lack of success.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal