敗 (bài) - to defeat & to be defeated

敗Tone 4

bài ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

傲不

敗 · bài

to defeat;

to be defeated;

to fail;

to spoil;

to ruin;

to decay

to defeatto be defeatedto fail

Usage highlights

defeat the enemyfailure in businessspoiled foodcorrupt officialdecline and falllose a battle

Synonyms

  • 负— to lose (in competition)
  • 输— to lose (in games, competitions)
  • 垮— to collapse, to break down

Antonyms

  • 胜— to win, to triumph
  • 成— to succeed, to accomplish
  • 赢— to win, to gain

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The army was defeated (军队被打败).
  • The project failed due to poor planning (项目因计划不周而失败).
  • The milk has gone sour (牛奶败了).
  • He lost the game (他比赛败了).

Collocations

  • defeat the enemy(打败敌人)
  • failure in business(生意失败)
  • spoiled food(败了的食物)
  • corrupt official(贪官污吏)
  • decline and fall(衰败)
  • lose a battle(败仗)

Idioms

  • A disastrous defeat(一败涂地)
  • Success and failure, gain and loss(成败得失)
  • Utterly defeated(败军之将)
  • To injure public morals(伤风败俗)
  • To bring disgrace upon one's family(败家)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese military strategy, concepts of victory (胜) and defeat (败) are central to works like Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War'.
  • The character reflects the Confucian emphasis on moral conduct, as in '伤风败俗' (injuring public morals), where defeat applies to ethical failure.
  • In business contexts, 败 carries strong negative connotations, often associated with financial loss and reputation damage.

FAQ