Understanding "打败" - Chinese Word Explanation

1. Basic Information

• Word: 打败
• Pinyin: dǎ bài
• Literal Meaning: “to hit and defeat” or “to strike down”
• Primary Meaning: to defeat, to beat, to overcome an opponent or challenge

2. In-depth Explanation

• Context and Usage:
  打败 is a verb meaning “to defeat” or “to beat.” It is commonly used when one person, team, army, group, or force defeats another in a competition, fight, game, election, argument, or struggle.

In English, 打败 can often be translated as:
- “to defeat”
- “to beat”
- “to overcome”

打败 usually emphasizes the result: one side wins, and the other side loses. It can be used in both literal and figurative situations.

For example, you can use 打败 when talking about:
- defeating an opponent in a sports match
- beating someone in a game
- defeating an enemy in war
- overcoming fear, illness, or difficulty

A useful pattern is:

A 打败 B
“A defeats B”

Example:
他打败了对手。
Tā dǎbài le duìshǒu.
He defeated his opponent.

打败 is slightly more formal or serious than simply saying “win against” in English. It focuses on defeating the other side, not just winning something.

• Character Breakdown:

打 means “to hit,” “to strike,” or “to do” in many verb combinations. In 打败, it contributes the idea of attacking or taking action against someone or something.

败 means “to lose,” “to be defeated,” or “failure.” It is related to defeat and loss.

Together, 打败 literally suggests “to strike someone into defeat,” which naturally means “to defeat” or “to beat.”

3. Example Sentences

• Chinese: 我们的球队打败了去年的冠军。
• Pinyin: Wǒmen de qiúduì dǎbài le qùnián de guànjūn.

• English: Our team defeated last year’s champion.

• Chinese: 他终于打败了自己的恐惧。

• Pinyin: Tā zhōngyú dǎbài le zìjǐ de kǒngjù.

• English: He finally overcame his own fear.

• Chinese: 这位年轻选手打败了很多有经验的对手。

• Pinyin: Zhè wèi niánqīng xuǎnshǒu dǎbài le hěn duō yǒu jīngyàn de duìshǒu.
• English: This young competitor defeated many experienced opponents.

Cultural Notes (if applicable)

打败 is often used in contexts involving competition, persistence, and personal struggle. In Chinese, it can describe not only defeating another person but also overcoming internal or abstract challenges, such as fear, laziness, illness, or difficulty.

For English speakers, it is helpful to remember that 打败 is transitive. This means it usually needs an object: you defeat someone or something. For example, 打败对手 means “to defeat an opponent,” and 打败困难 means “to overcome difficulties.”

Be careful not to confuse 打败 with 赢. 赢 means “to win,” while 打败 means “to defeat.” The difference is similar to English:

• 赢得比赛 = to win the match
• 打败对手 = to defeat the opponent

Conclusion

打败 means “to defeat,” “to beat,” or “to overcome.” It is used when one side successfully causes another side to lose, whether in sports, games, war, competition, or personal challenges. Remember: 打 gives the sense of action or attack, and 败 means defeat or failure, so 打败 means “to defeat.”