HSK 3.0 · LEVEL 4
败
To fail, to be defeated, or to spoil something.
Free Chinese vocabulary flashcard · HSK 4
Why does 败 look like this?
The left side is '贝' (shell), which in ancient times represented money or value. The right side is '攵' (tap/strike), depicting a hand holding a stick. Together, it suggests 'striking at value' or 'breaking wealth,' leading to the meaning of defeat, failure, or being ruined.