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Words Kanji Guides About

敗北 (はいぼく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

敗はい北ぼく

は

い

ぼ

く

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

defeat; loss; setback

Refers to being beaten in a contest, battle, or struggle. Often used in formal or written contexts. The antonym is 勝利 (victory).

Antonyms: 勝利

我わがチームは決けっ勝しょうで敗はい北ぼくした。
Our team was defeated in the finals.

敗はい北ぼくを認みとめるのは難むずかしい。

It is hard to admit defeat.

Kanji

敗failure, defeat, reversal
北north

Similar words

勝しょう利り
勝利 means victory or win, the direct opposite of 敗北. While 敗北 emphasizes the state of being beaten, 勝利 focuses on winning.
負まけ
負け is a more casual and common word for loss or defeat, used in everyday speech. 敗北 is more formal and often used in writing or serious contexts.

Etymology

Compound of 敗 (hai, 'be defeated') and 北 (hoku, 'flee; be defeated'). The character 北 originally depicted two people back-to-back, implying retreat or defeat in battle.