How do you say "failure" in Chinese?

失败

shī bài

Noun Hanzi

In Chinese, "failure" is 失败 (shī bài).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

Try saying "shī bài" — first tone, then fourth tone — where held flat and steady, almost like humming one note; then the next syllable is snapping downward fast.

Writing and usage

失败 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

他从早期的失败中学到了很多。

tā cóng zǎo qī de shī bài zhōng xué dào le hěn duō 。

He learned a lot from his early failure.

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How to remember 失败

Attach "shī bài" to the scene from "He learned a lot from his early failure"; the pairing is hard to forget.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 失败

How do you pronounce 失败?

Try saying "shī bài" — first tone, then fourth tone — where held flat and steady, almost like humming one note; then the next syllable is snapping downward fast.

Is 失败 formal or casual?

失败 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 失败 used in Chinese?

失败 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 他从早期的失败中学到了很多。 (He learned a lot from his early failure.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Failure" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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