shènglì: 胜利 - Victory, Triumph, Success

• Keywords: shengli, 胜利, Chinese word for victory, how to say victory in Chinese, win in Chinese, triumph in Chinese, 胜利 meaning, 胜利 vs 成功, shènglì, HSK 4 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn the meaning and usage of 胜利 (shènglì), the Chinese word for victory, triumph, or success. This comprehensive guide for beginners breaks down the characters, explores its cultural importance in China, and compares it to similar words like 成功 (chénggōng). Master 胜利 (shènglì) with practical examples from sports, history, and daily life, and understand its powerful connotations.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shènglì
• Part of Speech: Noun, Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To achieve victory or a win, especially in a contest, conflict, or struggle.
• In a Nutshell: 胜利 (shènglì) is the classic, powerful word for “victory.” Think of the end of a war, a championship game, or overcoming a major, external obstacle. It almost always implies a clear opponent or challenge that has been defeated. It's a strong, often formal term that carries a sense of finality, achievement, and triumph over adversity.

• 胜 (shèng): This character means “to win,” “to be victorious,” or “to be superior to.” Its form suggests power and the ability to overcome. Think of it as the core action of winning a battle.
• 利 (lì): This character originally depicted a sharp knife cutting grain, and it means “sharp,” “benefit,” “advantage,” or “profit.” It represents the positive outcome or gain from an action.
• When combined, 胜利 (shènglì) literally means something like “victorious advantage” or “the benefit of winning.” It beautifully marries the concept of defeating an opponent (胜) with the positive outcome that follows (利).

In Chinese culture, 胜利 (shènglì) often carries a strong collective or communal weight. While Western culture, particularly American culture, often celebrates the “individual hero” who achieves victory, 胜利 in China is frequently associated with group efforts. A team's victory, a company's market dominance, or a national achievement is seen as the result of collective struggle, strategy, and harmony. For example, the phrase for the victory over Japan in WWII, `抗日战争的胜利 (Kàng-Rì Zhànzhēng de shènglì)`, is a cornerstone of modern Chinese national identity. It's a victory for the entire nation, not just for a few generals. This contrasts with how a concept like “winning” in the West can sometimes be more focused on individual competition and personal glory. Therefore, using 胜利 can evoke a sense of shared pride, historical significance, and collective achievement. It’s not just about one person winning; it’s often about “us” being victorious.

胜利 (shènglì) is a versatile word used in various contexts, though it often has a formal or slightly dramatic feel.

• Formal Contexts (History, Politics, Military): This is where 胜利 is most at home. It's used in official speeches, news reports, and historical texts to describe the outcome of wars, major campaigns, or significant political struggles.
• Sports and Competitions: Very common. Announcers, fans, and players will all talk about achieving 胜利. `庆祝胜利 (qìngzhù shènglì)` means “to celebrate a victory.”
• Business and Work: It can be used to describe a major success against a competitor, like winning a crucial contract or launching a product that dominates the market. It implies a clear “win” over rivals.
• Personal Struggles: While you can use it for overcoming a major personal challenge (e.g., beating a serious illness), it can sound quite grand. For more everyday achievements, other words are often preferred (see Nuances section).
• As a Verb: It's frequently used as a verb, especially in the form `我们胜利了! (Wǒmen shènglì le!)` meaning “We won!” or “We are victorious!”

• Example 1:
  • 中国队获得了最终的胜利。
  • Pinyin: Zhōngguó duì huòdéle zuìzhōng de shènglì.
  • English: The Chinese team obtained the final victory.
  • Analysis: A classic example from sports. `获得 (huòdé)` means “to obtain” or “to acquire,” making the phrase sound official and definitive, as you'd hear on a news broadcast.
• Example 2:
  • 让我们一起庆祝胜利吧！
  • Pinyin: Ràng wǒmen yīqǐ qìngzhù shènglì ba!
  • English: Let's celebrate the victory together!
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights the collective nature of celebration after a win. `一起 (yīqǐ)` emphasizes “together.”
• Example 3:
  • 这是一场来之不易的胜利。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì yī chǎng láizhī bùyì de shènglì.
  • English: This was a hard-earned victory.
  • Analysis: The idiom `来之不易 (láizhī bùyì)` means “not easily come by.” It emphasizes the struggle and difficulty that preceded the triumph.
• Example 4:
  • 我们胜利了！我们是冠军！
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen shènglì le! Wǒmen shì guànjūn!
  • English: We won! We are the champions!
  • Analysis: Here, `胜利` is used as a verb. This is a common, excited exclamation used by fans or players right after a win.
• Example 5:
  • 他做了一个“V”字手势，代表胜利。
  • Pinyin: Tā zuòle yīgè “V” zì shǒushì, dàibiǎo shènglì.
  • English: He made a “V” sign with his hand, representing victory.
  • Analysis: This connects the word to a universal symbol, making it very easy for learners to understand the context.
• Example 6:
  • 经过多年的斗争，他们终于取得了胜利。
  • Pinyin: Jīngguò duōnián de dòuzhēng, tāmen zhōngyú qǔdéle shènglì.
  • English: After many years of struggle, they finally achieved victory.
  • Analysis: `斗争 (dòuzhēng)` means “struggle” or “fight.” This sentence shows 胜利 as the culmination of a long and arduous process.
• Example 7:
  • 胜利的喜悦洋溢在每个人的脸上。
  • Pinyin: Shènglì de xǐyuè yángyì zài měi gè rén de liǎn shàng.
  • English: The joy of victory was overflowing on everyone's face.
  • Analysis: This poetic sentence uses `喜悦 (xǐyuè)` for “joy” and `洋溢 (yángyì)` for “to overflow,” painting a vivid picture of a post-victory celebration.
• Example 8:
  • 公司的目标是在市场竞争中取得胜利。
  • Pinyin: Gōngsī de mùbiāo shì zài shìchǎng jìngzhēng zhōng qǔdé shènglì.
  • English: The company's goal is to achieve victory in the market competition.
  • Analysis: A perfect example of using 胜利 in a business context, where `竞争 (jìngzhēng)` (competition) is the opponent.
• Example 9:
  • 这次胜利极大地鼓舞了全队的士气。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì shènglì jí dà de gǔwǔle quán duì de shìqì.
  • English: This victory greatly boosted the entire team's morale.
  • Analysis: This shows the consequence of victory. `鼓舞 (gǔwǔ)` means “to inspire/boost” and `士气 (shìqì)` means “morale.”
• Example 10:
  • 只要我们团结，胜利就一定属于我们。
  • Pinyin: Zhǐyào wǒmen tuánjié, shènglì jiù yīdìng shǔyú wǒmen.
  • English: As long as we are united, victory will surely belong to us.
  • Analysis: This motivational sentence again reinforces the cultural value of unity (`团结 tuánjié`) as the key to achieving a collective 胜利.

The most common point of confusion for English speakers is the difference between 胜利 (shènglì) and 成功 (chénggōng).

• 胜利 (shènglì) - Victory: Implies a zero-sum game. There is a winner and a loser. You achieve 胜利 by defeating an opponent or overcoming an external, often hostile, force.
  • Contexts: War, sports, competition, debate, elections.
• 成功 (chénggōng) - Success: Implies achieving a personal or set goal. You can be successful without anyone else losing.
  • Contexts: Passing an exam, starting a business, learning a skill, finishing a project.

Common Mistake:

• Incorrect: `我考试胜利了。` (Wǒ kǎoshì shènglì le.)
• Why it's wrong: An exam is a goal to be met, not an opponent to be defeated. You are not “victorious” over the test paper.
• Correct: `我考试成功了。` (Wǒ kǎoshì chénggōng le.) or `我通过了考试。` (Wǒ tōngguò le kǎoshì.) - “I succeeded in the exam” or “I passed the exam.”

You can think of it this way: a team that wins a championship achieves both 胜利 (over their rivals) and 成功 (in their goal to become champions). But a scientist who makes a breakthrough discovery has 成功, not 胜利 (unless they were in a fierce, head-to-head race against a rival lab).

• 成功 (chénggōng) - Success; achieving a goal. The most important term to contrast with 胜利.
• 赢 (yíng) - To win. A very common and versatile verb, often used more casually than 胜利 (e.g., in games, bets). `我们赢了 (Wǒmen yíng le)` is a common alternative to `我们胜利了`.
• 失败 (shībài) - Failure, defeat. The direct antonym of 胜利.
• 打败 (dǎbài) - To defeat, to beat (an opponent). This is the action that leads to 胜利.
• 克服 (kèfú) - To overcome (difficulties, obstacles). This describes the process that enables a victory or success.
• 庆祝 (qìngzhù) - To celebrate. What you do after a 胜利.
• 冠军 (guànjūn) - Champion. The title given to the person or team that achieves the final 胜利 in a tournament.
• 凯旋 (kǎixuán) - To return in triumph. A very formal, literary term for returning home after a great victory, like an army returning from war.