失败 — meaning in English: failure

shībài · Learn this word with quizzes, examples and more on Maspeak.

Guess the translation for failure

弱点

ruòdiǎn

化学

huàxué

失败

shībài

木乃伊

mùnǎiyī

出口

chūkǒu

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neutral common

Usage

Native speakers often use 失败 (shībài) in both personal and professional contexts when discussing setbacks or disappointments. For example, someone might express their feelings after failing an important exam or a company might address its financial struggles in a meeting.

Synonyms & nuances

While 失败 (shībài) generally refers to failure in a broad sense, another term, 挫折 (cuòzhé), refers more specifically to setbacks or obstacles encountered along the way. You might choose 失败 when the focus is on the ultimate failure of an endeavor, while 挫折 could be used to describe smaller bumps in the journey.

Culture

The term 失败 (shībài) embodies a broader cultural attitude towards failure in China, where perseverance (坚持, jiānchí) is highly valued. The word's characters, 失 (to lose) and 敗 (to defeat), reflect an inherent understanding that failing is often a stepping stone towards eventual success, aligning with the saying 'failure is the mother of success' (失败是成功之母).

FAQ

Q.What does 失败 mean in English?

失败 (shībài) translates to 'failure' in English, indicating a lack of success in an endeavor.

Q.How do you use 失败 in a sentence?

You can use 失败 in sentences like '我们的计划失败了' (Wǒmen de jìhuà shībài le), which means 'Our plan failed.' This shows how the word can convey disappointment or loss.

Q.Are there any common mistakes with using 失败?

A common mistake is to confuse 失败 with 成功 (chénggōng), which means 'success.' Make sure you use 失败 only to refer to instances of failure, not achievements.

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