yíng: 赢 - to Win, to Gain, to Profit

• Keywords: 赢, 赢 pinyin, yíng, ying character, how to say win in Chinese, Chinese word for win, Chinese for profit, to beat in Chinese, Chinese character for win, ying Chinese meaning, 赢了 (yíng le), 输 (shū)
• Summary: Learn the Chinese word for “win,” 赢 (yíng). This comprehensive guide explores the deep meaning of the character 赢, showing how it's used in sports, business, and daily conversation. Discover why understanding yíng is not just about victory, but about a mindset of strategic success that is central to Chinese culture. This page will teach you how to use 赢 correctly, from winning a simple game to gaining profit or respect.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): yíng
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 4
• Concise Definition: To win a game or contest; to gain a profit or an advantage.
• In a Nutshell: 赢 (yíng) is the primary Chinese verb for “to win.” It's used in any situation where there is a competition, from a soccer match or a game of chess to a business negotiation or even a friendly argument. Beyond a simple victory, it carries a sense of gaining something positive, whether it's money, a prize, or an intangible advantage like trust or time. If you want to talk about coming out on top, 赢 (yíng) is the word you need.

The simplified character 赢 is a modern consolidation of the much more descriptive traditional character, 贏. Understanding the components of the traditional form provides a fascinating insight into the Chinese concept of what it takes to win. The traditional character 贏 is a compound of five distinct elements, each representing a quality needed for victory:

• 亡 (wáng): Awareness of crisis or danger. To win, you must first understand the risk of losing.
• 口 (kǒu): Mouth; communication. Victory requires effective communication, strategy, and negotiation.
• 月 (yuè): Moon; time. Winning takes time, patience, and persistence. It's not always a quick fight.
• 贝 (bèi): Shell; money/valuables. Success requires resources, capital, and tangible assets.
• 凡 (fán): Ordinary; common. This represents the need for a calm, steady, and grounded mindset (平常心 - píngchángxīn), even in the heat of competition.

Together, these components paint a picture of winning not as a single act of force, but as a holistic strategy. To truly 赢 (yíng), one needs a sense of urgency, clear communication, patience, sufficient resources, and a level head.

The character 赢 (yíng) encapsulates a philosophy of success that is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture. While Western culture might sometimes celebrate the “lone wolf” or “brute force” victory, the components of 赢 suggest a more strategic and balanced approach, reminiscent of Sun Tzu's “The Art of War.” The key takeaway is that winning is a multi-faceted endeavor. It's not just about being the strongest (力 lì) or fastest (快 kuài). It's about being the most prepared. This contrasts with the more direct American concept of “winning,” which can sometimes imply a “win-at-all-costs” mentality. The Chinese concept of 赢 suggests that a sustainable victory is achieved through careful management of time (月), resources (贝), communication (口), and psychology (亡 and 凡). This mindset is applied everywhere, from raising a child and running a business to national strategy. Winning is a science and an art, not just a result.

赢 (yíng) is a common and versatile word used in many modern contexts.

This is the most direct usage. It's used for sports, video games, board games, gambling, and any activity with a clear winner and loser. The structure 赢了 (yíng le) is extremely common to state that someone has won.

• `中国队赢了！(Zhōngguó duì yíng le!)` - The Chinese team won!

赢 is used to mean “to make a profit” or “to gain a commercial advantage.”

• `我们赢得了这个合同。(Wǒmen yíngdéle zhège hétong.)` - We won this contract.
• The term 盈利 (yínglì) specifically means “profit” or “to make a profit.”

You can “win” an argument, though it's often used humorously or informally.

• `别跟他吵，你赢不了。(Bié gēn tā chǎo, nǐ yíng bùliǎo.)` - Don't argue with him, you can't win.

The compound 赢得 (yíngdé) is often used when “winning” something intangible.

• `他赢得了大家的尊重。(Tā yíngdéle dàjiā de zūnzhòng.)` - He won everyone's respect.
• `她赢得了观众的掌声。(Tā yíngdéle guānzhòng de zhǎngshēng.)` - She won the audience's applause.

• Example 1:
  • 我们队赢了比赛。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen duì yíng le bǐsài.
  • English: Our team won the game.
  • Analysis: A classic, simple example of using 赢 for a competition. The particle `了 (le)` indicates the completed action.
• Example 2:
  • 你觉得哪匹马会赢？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ juéde nǎ pǐ mǎ huì yíng?
  • English: Which horse do you think will win?
  • Analysis: Here, 赢 is used to ask about a future outcome. `会 (huì)` indicates future possibility.
• Example 3:
  • 他靠赌博赢了很多钱。
  • Pinyin: Tā kào dǔbó yíng le hěn duō qián.
  • English: He won a lot of money by gambling.
  • Analysis: This shows 赢 used with money in a context of chance/risk, which is correct. Contrast this with `赚钱 (zhuànqián)`, earning money from work.
• Example 4:
  • 这家公司去年的赢利很高。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā gōngsī qùnián de yínglì hěn gāo.
  • English: This company's profit last year was very high.
  • Analysis: Using the compound word 盈利 (yínglì), which specifically means “profit.” Here, it functions as a noun.
• Example 5:
  • 他的诚实为他赢得了信任。
  • Pinyin: Tā de chéngshí wèi tā yíngdé le xìnrèn.
  • English: His honesty won him trust.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates the use of 赢得 (yíngdé) for gaining abstract things like `信任 (xìnrèn)`, or trust.
• Example 6:
  • 你是赢不了我的，放弃吧！
  • Pinyin: Nǐ shì yíng bùliǎo wǒ de, fàngqì ba!
  • English: You can't win against me, just give up!
  • Analysis: The structure `赢不了 (yíng bùliǎo)` means “cannot win” or “unable to win.” It's a very common potential complement.
• Example 7:
  • 在商业世界里，不是你赢就是我输。
  • Pinyin: Zài shāngyè shìjiè lǐ, búshì nǐ yíng jiùshì wǒ shū.
  • English: In the business world, it's either you win or I lose.
  • Analysis: This sentence directly contrasts 赢 (yíng) with its antonym, 输 (shū), to describe a zero-sum situation.
• Example 8:
  • 我们必须打赢这场仗。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū dǎyíng zhè chǎng zhàng.
  • English: We must win this battle.
  • Analysis: 打赢 (dǎyíng) is a resultative verb. `打 (dǎ)` means “to fight,” and `赢 (yíng)` is the successful result. It literally means “to fight and win.”
• Example 9:
  • 祝贺你赢得冠军！
  • Pinyin: Zhùhè nǐ yíngdé guànjūn!
  • English: Congratulations on winning the championship!
  • Analysis: A common celebratory phrase. `冠军 (guànjūn)` means champion or first prize.
• Example 10:
  • 只要我们团结，就一定能赢。
  • Pinyin: Zhǐyào wǒmen tuánjié, jiù yīdìng néng yíng.
  • English: As long as we are united, we can definitely win.
  • Analysis: This shows 赢 in a conditional sentence, expressing confidence in a future victory based on a condition (`团结 - tuánjié`, to be united).

• 赢 (yíng) vs. 成功 (chénggōng) - Winning vs. Succeeding:
  • A common mistake for learners is to use 赢 for any kind of success. 赢 implies a direct competition against an opponent or obstacle. 成功 (chénggōng) means “to succeed” in a broader sense.
  • Incorrect: `我在我的事业上赢了。` (Wǒ zài wǒ de shìyè shàng yíng le.)
  • Correct: `我的事业很成功。` (Wǒ de shìyè hěn chénggōng.) - My career is very successful.
  • You 赢 (yíng) a match, but you 成功 (chénggōng) in your career.
• 赢钱 (yíng qián) vs. 赚钱 (zhuàn qián) - Winning Money vs. Earning Money:
  • This is a critical distinction. You only 赢钱 (yíng qián) through gambling, lotteries, or contests. You 赚钱 (zhuàn qián) through work, labor, or investment returns. Using 赢 for your salary is a major mistake.
  • Incorrect: `我每个月工作赢三千块钱。` (Wǒ měi ge yuè gōngzuò yíng sānqiān kuài qián.)
  • Correct: `我每个月工作赚三千块钱。` (Wǒ měi ge yuè gōngzuò zhuàn sānqiān kuài qián.) - I earn 3,000 yuan a month from my job.

• `输 (shū)` - The direct antonym of 赢. It means “to lose.”
• `胜利 (shènglì)` - A more formal noun meaning “victory.” While `赢了 (yíng le)` means “won,” `取得了胜利 (qǔdéle shènglì)` means “achieved victory.”
• `赢得 (yíngdé)` - A verb meaning to win or gain something abstract, like respect (尊重), trust (信任), or time (时间).
• `打赢 (dǎyíng)` - A resultative complement meaning “to win a fight/battle/lawsuit.” It emphasizes overcoming through a struggle.
• `盈利 (yínglì)` - A specific term for “profit” or “to make a profit” in a business context.
• `赢家 (yíngjiā)` - Noun, “the winner.” The person or party that wins.
• `成功 (chénggōng)` - A related but broader concept meaning “to succeed” or “success.” All wins can be considered successes, but not all successes are wins.
• `赚钱 (zhuànqián)` - To earn money (through work). Differentiated from 赢钱 (yíng qián), which is to win money (through chance).