shībài: 失败 - to fail, failure, defeat

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• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word 失败 (shībài), which means “to fail,” “failure,” or “defeat.” This comprehensive guide covers its meaning, character origins, and practical use in everything from exams to business. Discover the cultural weight of failure in China, how it differs from Western concepts, and how to use it accurately. This page provides clear examples and related terms, making it a key resource for any student wanting to understand what `shibai` truly means.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shī bài
• Part of Speech: Verb, Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To not succeed in achieving a goal; the state of being unsuccessful or defeated.
• In a Nutshell: `失败` is the standard, all-purpose word for “failure” in Chinese. It's a direct and unambiguous term that can be used as a verb (“to fail”) or a noun (“a failure”). Unlike the English word “fail,” which can sometimes be softened, `失败` often carries a sense of finality and seriousness. It describes a clear outcome where a desired goal was not met, whether it's a test, a business project, or a competition.

• 失 (shī): This character's core meaning is “to lose,” “to miss,” or “to let slip.” Pictorially, it can be seen as a hand (手) letting something drop, signifying loss.
• 败 (bài): This character means “to be defeated,” “to ruin,” or “to spoil.” It's composed of 贝 (bèi), meaning “shell” (ancient money/valuables), and 攴 (pū), a pictograph for a hand holding a stick, meaning “to strike.” Together, it evokes the image of striking and destroying something of value.
• How they combine: The two characters form a powerful and logical compound word. 失 (to lose) + 败 (to be defeated) = 失败 (shībài), a complete and total failure or defeat.

In Chinese culture, `失败` is often perceived with more gravity than in many Western cultures. While the American “fail fast, fail forward” mindset celebrates failure as a necessary stepping stone to innovation, the traditional Chinese perspective is more cautious.

• High Stakes and “Face” (面子): In a society that often emphasizes collective achievement and family honor, personal failure can be seen as bringing shame not only upon oneself but also upon one's family. This is deeply connected to the concept of 面子 (miànzi), or “face.” A significant failure, like failing the crucial university entrance exam (高考 gāokǎo), can lead to a major loss of face.
• Result-Oriented Culture: Traditional education and work environments often place immense pressure on achieving a successful outcome. The process is important, but the result (结果 jiéguǒ) is paramount. Therefore, `失败` is not just a data point; it's the non-achievement of the primary objective.
• The Proverb of Resilience: Despite this, Chinese culture also deeply values persistence. The famous proverb 失败是成功之母 (shībài shì chénggōng zhī mǔ), meaning “Failure is the mother of success,” is known by everyone. It serves as a cultural reminder that while `失败` is a painful and serious event, it is also the foundational experience from which success can eventually grow. This reflects a pragmatic acceptance that one must endure hardship to achieve greatness.

`失败` is a standard, neutral-to-formal term used across all registers of the language. It is not slang and is appropriate in almost any situation where you need to talk about failure.

• In Education: This is one of the most common contexts. Students talk about failing a test (考试失败) or an entire course.
• In Business: It's used to describe a failed project (项目失败), a failed business venture (创业失败), or a failed negotiation (谈判失败).
• In Technology: You will often see this on computer screens or apps, for example: `登录失败 (dēnglù shībài)` - “Login failed.”
• In Relationships: While a bit dramatic, someone might describe a marriage or relationship as a `失败` (e.g., `这段婚姻很失败` - “This marriage is a failure.”).
• In Competitions: It's used for losing a match or being defeated in a contest, though the simpler verb 输 (shū) is more common for games.

• Example 1:
  • 这次考试我又失败了。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì kǎoshì wǒ yòu shībài le.
  • English: I failed this exam again.
  • Analysis: A very common and direct use of `失败` as a verb in an academic context. The tone is one of disappointment.
• Example 2:
  • 失败是成功之母。
  • Pinyin: Shībài shì chénggōng zhī mǔ.
  • English: Failure is the mother of success.
  • Analysis: This famous proverb uses `失败` as a noun and a philosophical concept. It's often used to encourage someone who has just failed.
• Example 3:
  • 他们的创业项目最终失败了。
  • Pinyin: Tāmen de chuàngyè xiàngmù zuìzhōng shībài le.
  • English: Their startup project ultimately failed.
  • Analysis: Here, `失败` is used as a verb in a formal business context to state the final outcome of a venture.
• Example 4:
  • 我觉得自己是一个失败者。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ juéde zìjǐ shì yí ge shībài zhě.
  • English: I feel like I am a loser.
  • Analysis: `失败者 (shībàizhě)` means “one who fails” or “a loser.” It's a very strong and self-critical statement.
• Example 5:
  • 别害怕失败，重要的是从中学到东西。
  • Pinyin: Bié hàipà shībài, zhòngyào de shì cóngzhōng xué dào dōngxi.
  • English: Don't be afraid of failure; the important thing is to learn from it.
  • Analysis: Here, `失败` is used as a noun, representing the abstract concept of failure. This sentence reflects a more modern, growth-oriented mindset.
• Example 6:
  • 系统更新失败，请稍后重试。
  • Pinyin: Xìtǒng gēngxīn shībài, qǐng shāohòu chóngshì.
  • English: System update failed. Please try again later.
  • Analysis: A common, impersonal use of `失败` in a technical context. It simply states a failed process.
• Example 7:
  • 他经历了很多次失败，但从未放弃。
  • Pinyin: Tā jīnglì le hěn duō cì shībài, dàn cóngwèi fàngqì.
  • English: He experienced many failures, but he never gave up.
  • Analysis: `失败` is used as a countable noun here (`一次失败` - one failure). This highlights its use to describe specific instances of failing.
• Example 8:
  • 这次任务的失败主要是因为准备不足。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì rènwù de shībài zhǔyào shi yīnwèi zhǔnbèi bùzú.
  • English: The failure of this mission was mainly due to insufficient preparation.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates `失败` used as the subject of the sentence, a noun describing the outcome.
• Example 9:
  • 任何计划都有失败的可能。
  • Pinyin: Rènhé jìhuà dōu yǒu shībài de kěnéng.
  • English: Any plan has the possibility of failure.
  • Analysis: `失败` is used as a noun to talk about risk and possibility.
• Example 10:
  • 在他看来，没能成为一名医生就是人生的失败。
  • Pinyin: Zài tā kànlái, méi néng chéngwéi yī míng yīshēng jiùshì rénshēng de shībài.
  • English: In his view, not being able to become a doctor is a failure in life.
  • Analysis: This sentence shows how `失败` can be used to express a deep, personal judgment about one's life path.

A common mistake for English speakers is to use `失败` too broadly, applying it where a more specific or less dramatic word is needed. `失败` implies the non-completion of a significant goal, not just any minor error or malfunction.

• Incorrect: 我失败了赶上公交车。 (Wǒ shībài le gǎnshàng gōngjiāochē.)
• Why it's wrong: This sounds overly dramatic, as if catching the bus was a life-or-death mission. `失败` is too strong here.
• Correct: 我没赶上公交车。 (Wǒ méi gǎnshàng gōngjiāochē.) - “I didn't catch the bus.”
• Incorrect: 我的电脑失败了。 (Wǒ de diànnǎo shībài le.)
• Why it's wrong: `失败` is for goals, not mechanical functions. Computers don't have goals; they just work or break.
• Correct: 我的电脑坏了。 (Wǒ de diànnǎo huài le.) - “My computer is broken.”

Think of `失败` as the opposite of `成功 (chénggōng) - success`. If you wouldn't use `成功` to describe the positive outcome, you probably shouldn't use `失败` for the negative one. You wouldn't say “I succeeded in catching the bus,” so you don't say “I failed to catch the bus” using `失败`.

• 成功 (chénggōng) - The direct antonym of `失败`. It means “success” or “to succeed.”
• 输 (shū) - To lose a game or competition. It is more specific than `失败` and is the direct antonym of `赢 (yíng) - to win`. You `输` a game, which is a type of `失败`.
• 挫折 (cuòzhé) - A setback, a frustration. A `挫折` is a hurdle or obstacle you face along the way, while a `失败` can be the final, negative outcome.
• 搞砸 (gǎo zá) - (Informal/Colloquial) To screw up, to botch. This is much more informal than `失败` and implies making a mess of things through carelessness or incompetence.
• 打败 (dǎbài) - To defeat someone/something (transitive verb). `A 打败了 B` means “A defeated B.” `B 失败了` means “B was defeated/failed.”
• 落榜 (luòbǎng) - To fail an important exam (lit. “to fall off the list”). Highly specific to failing competitive entrance examinations like the Gaokao.
• 破产 (pòchǎn) - To go bankrupt. The specific term for financial failure of a business or individual.
• 战胜 (zhànshèng) - To overcome, to triumph over (e.g., to overcome difficulties `战胜困难`). This is an active verb focusing on the victory itself.