败

敗
bài
#860 most
frequent character
defeat, beat, fail, lose
verb

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

败 shows a hand with a staff, 攵, striking something, which gives the idea of destroying. 贝 bèi also supplies the sound. The meaning grew from to destroy to being destroyed, to lose or fail, and then to defeat.

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Example Sentences

我在比赛中败给了对手。
wǒzài bǐsài zhōng bài gěi le duìshǒu 。
I was defeated by my opponent in the competition.
他总是担心自己会失败。
tā zǒngshì dānxīn zìjǐ huì shībài 。
He is always worried that he will fail.
我们不能因为一次失败就放弃。
wǒmen bùnéng yīnwèi yīcì shībài jiù fàngqì 。
We can't give up just because of one defeat.

Words with similar meanings

输shū
lose
This word emphasizes the result of not winning or being overcome by an opponent.
败北bàiběi
be defeated
This term is more formal and typically used in a literary or historical context.

Homophones

拜bài
to bow to, to pay one's respects

Words Starting With 败

败坏bài huài
to ruin; to corrupt; to undermine

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