The Meaning of shippai [失敗] In Japanese

失敗
しっぱい
Romaji: shippai N4

What does 失敗 mean?

Translation and Meaning

failure, mistake, defeat, setback

Definition

What does 失敗 mean? It denotes the outcome of not achieving a desired result and the experience of not meeting a goal, applicable to plans, experiments, or actions across contexts.

Type

noun; suru-verb (日本語: 名詞, サ変動詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Primary meaning: the state of not achieving a desired outcome in an action, plan, or attempt
  • Nuance: can imply a simple error or misjudgment rather than moral fault
  • Usage: commonly paired with する to form 失敗する, used in formal writing and everyday speech

Etymology

失 (shi, to lose) and 敗 (hai, defeat) combine as a Sino-Japanese compound read as shippai in modern usage.

Origin

Origins lie in classical to modern Japanese, with the compound entering common usage to denote failure or defeat in attempts, decisions, or actions.

Composition

  • 失: to lose, miss; evokes the sense of loss
  • 敗: defeat, collapse; conveys being beaten

Usage

Used as a noun for failure and as the base for the verb 失敗する; suitable in formal reports, academic writing, and casual conversation; often paired with adjectives like 大きな or 小さな to describe scale.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: visualize a plan that loses in a game, where 失 represents loss and 敗 represents defeat, tying together the meaning of failure as a combination of loss and defeat.

Variations

  • 過ち (ayamachi) — error
  • ミス (misu) — mistake
  • 失策 (shissaku) — blunder
  • 成功 (seikou) — antonym: success
  • 勝利 (shouri) — antonym: victory

Example Phrases

  • 友達の前で失敗を見せ物にしないで。
    Tomodachi no mae de shippai o misemono ni shinaide.
    Don’t turn your mistakes into a spectacle in front of your friends.
    Lista:
    • 友達 (tomodachi) – friend
    • の (no) – of
    • 前 (mae) – front
    • で (de) – in/at
    • 失敗 (shippai) – failure
    • を (wo) – (object marker)
    • 見せ物 (misemono) – spectacle
    • に (ni) – to/into
    • しないで (shinaide) – don’t
    Use the set phrase 「見せ物にする」 to mean turning something into a spectacle for others; in this sentence, 「見せ物」 is the noun used in that phrasal form.
  • 今日の会議で失敗したが、次は準備を徹底する。
    Kyou no kaigi de shippai shita ga, tsugi wa junbi o tettei suru.
    I failed at today’s meeting, but next I will prepare thoroughly.
    Lista:
    • 今日の (kyou no) – today’s
    • 会議で (kaigi de) – at the meeting
    • 失敗したが (shippai shita ga) – failed, but
    • 次は (tsugi wa) – next
    • 準備を (junbi o) – preparation
    • 徹底する (tettei suru) – to carry out thoroughly
    Past event with 「失敗」 and a contrastive が linking to a future resolve.
失敗