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落败 (luò bài) — to be defeated, to lose (in a competition, battle, election, etc.)

Definition

Means 'to lose, be defeated' in a competition, match, or contest. Compared with 失败, it specifically implies losing to an opponent; 失败 is broader (any failure).

verb
to be defeatedto lose (in a competition, battle, election, etc.)

Examples

  • ，落败。
    Zài zhè cì bǐ sài zhōng, tā men luò bài le.
    In this competition, they were defeated.
  • ，落败。
    Suī rán duì fāng shí lì qiáng dà, dàn wǒ men méi yǒu qīng yì luò bài.
    Although the opponent was strong, we didn't easily lose.
  • 落败。
    Nà zhī qiú duì yǐ yì fēn zhī chā luò bài.
    That team lost by one point.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

落luòfall/fail
败bàidefeat/fail

落 and 败 both express failing or losing, so together they mean to be defeated.

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
洛
洛luò落luò
Same sound today

落 pairs 艹 with 洛; 洛 gives the sound, and 艹 relates to the meaning.

Open 落 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 敗; 败 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攵Written in full as攴pūstrike
Sound part声符shēngfú
貝
貝bèi敗bài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 敗 has 貝 as the sound component and 攴 (written 攵) meaning strike. The simplified 败 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the original components.

Open 败 →
Appears in
Success & Failure

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