Meaning
失败 means to fail or experience failure, whether in achieving a goal, completing a task, or winning a competition. It can function as both a verb (to fail) and a noun (failure). The word carries a negative connotation but is commonly used in everyday speech when discussing setbacks, mistakes, or unsuccessful outcomes.
Usage
失败 is used in both formal and informal contexts. It's commonly paired with verbs like 遭遇 (to encounter), 经历 (to experience), or 导致 (to lead to). Native speakers often use it to describe everything from minor mistakes to major defeats. The opposite of 成功 (success), it appears frequently in motivational contexts discussing learning from failure.
Examples
- 01这次考试我失败了，但我不会放弃。, .I failed this exam, but I won't give up.
- 02失败是成功之母。.Failure is the mother of success.
Characters
Measure words
- 次一次失败
Common collocations
- 失败的经历experience of failure
- 遭遇失败to encounter failure
- 导致失败to lead to failure
- 以失败告终to end in failure
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters relate to loss and decline. 失 originally depicted something slipping from one's hand, while 败 contains the radical 贝 (shell/money) and suggests loss or ruin.