常胜 (cháng shēng) — ever victorious; always winning | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literary/archaic adjective meaning 'always winning' — used mostly in titles, military terms, or formal writing rather than daily speech. Closer to a fixed epithet (e.g. 常胜将军) than a common descriptive word.

adjective

ever victoriousalways winning

Examples

常胜。
Tā shì yí wèi cháng shēng jiāng jūn.
He is an ever-victorious general.
常胜。
Zhè zhī cháng shēng bù duì zài lì shǐ shàng qǔ dé le huī huáng de zhàn jì.
This ever-victorious army achieved brilliant feats in history.
常胜，。
Yào xiǎng bǎo chí cháng shēng, bì xū bú duàn xué xí hé jìn bù.
To remain ever-victorious, one must continuously learn and improve.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

常chángalways

常 (always) and 胜 (win) combine to mean always winning.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

巾巾jīncloth

Sound part声符shēngfú

尚

尚shàng常cháng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

常 pairs 巾, a cloth, with 尚 as a sound part; the form originally referred to a lower garment.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

肉肉ròumeat

Sound part声符shēngfú

生

生shēng胜shèng

Same sound today

The simplified 胜 changes the traditional 勝 by replacing part of its sound side with 生; the left 肉 relates to meat.

Appears in

Success & Failure

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