Explore 敗 in everyday mistakes and competitive defeats. Learn each reading as part of a whole word.

The idea

敗 has 11 strokes; follow the linked stroke-order diagram. 失敗（しっぱい） means a mistake or failure, while 敗れる（やぶれる） means to be defeated. In compounds, 勝敗（しょうはい） is victory or defeat and 三敗（さんぱい） is three defeats.

Patterns to compare
WordReadingMeaning
失敗しっぱいfailure; mistake
敗れるやぶれるto be defeated
勝敗しょうはいvictory or defeat
三敗さんぱいthree defeats

Examples

  • 計算けいさんで失敗しっぱいしました。I made a mistake in the calculation.
  • 私わたしたちは試合しあいに敗やぶれました。We lost the match.
  • 失敗しっぱいから学まなんでください。Learn from failure.
  • 最後さいごの試合しあいで勝敗しょうはいが決きまりました。The outcome was decided in the final game.
  • チームは三敗さんぱいしました。The team has suffered three defeats.
  • その計画けいかくは失敗しっぱいに終おわりました。The plan ended in failure.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not use 失敗 as though it always means losing a match: it can describe a failed calculation or plan. 敗れる specifically describes defeat; the reading changes with the word.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 失敗 in hiragana.

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    しっぱい

    失敗 is しっぱい, with a small っ: it can describe a mistake in a calculation.

  2. Write the reading of 敗れる in hiragana.

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    やぶれる

    敗れる is やぶれる, including the kana れる; it describes being defeated.

  3. Choose the missing kanji: 勝＿（しょうはい）［敗／貝］.

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    敗

    敗 completes 勝敗（しょうはい）, the outcome in terms of victory or defeat. 貝 alone does not form that word.

Use it today

Write 敗 using the diagram. Cover the table, read 失敗 and 敗れる, and make a sentence about a mistake.