失败 shī bài
“to be defeated; to lose; to fail (e.g. experiments)”
verb, verb / nounHSK 4 · 2021 list level 4Traditional 失敗Measure word 次
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
失败 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1652: 失败 shībài — Level 4; official annotation 4 (动、形). PDF page 121
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 失败
失败 means "to fail" or "failure." It is used for exams, experiments, plans, and competitions, and it is intransitive: the thing that fails comes before it as the subject. As a noun it often appears as 一次失败 ("a failure").
例句Example sentences
- 这次考试我失败了。zhè cì kǎo shì wǒ shī bài le.I failed this exam.
- 他的实验又失败了。tā de shí yàn yòu shī bài le.His experiment failed again.
- 别怕失败，再试一次。bié pà shī bài, zài shì yí cì.Don't be afraid of failure; try again.