败

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 败 (bài) is composed of two parts: the radical 亡 (wáng), which means "to die" or "to perish", and the phonetic component 歹 (dǎi), which has the sound "bài". The original meaning of 败 was "to die in battle", but over time it has come to mean "to be defeated" or "to fail".The character 败 can be used as a verb, an adjective, or a noun. As a verb, it means "to defeat", "to fail", or "to be defeated". As an adjective, it means "defeated", "failed", or "unsuccessful". As a noun, it means "a defeat" or "a failure".The character 败 is often used in negative contexts, but it can also be used in positive contexts. For example, the phrase 一败涂地 (yī bài tú dì) means "to be utterly defeated", but the phrase 百折不挠 (bǎi zhé bù náo) means "to never give up despite repeated setbacks".The character 败 is a common character in Chinese, and it is important for HSK learners to understand its meaning and usage.