bài

to defeat

to damage; to lose (to an opponent); to fail; to wither

treasure (贝) + strike (攵) = defeat and damage

攵 is the 'strike' radical, depicting a hand holding a rod — the action of hitting. 贝 (shell/treasure) mainly contributes the sound bài; the striking hand carries the real meaning of ruin and defeat.

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StrikeSemantic
ShellPhonetic

他们队在比赛中给了对手。

tā men duì zài bǐ sài zhōng bài gěi le duì shǒu。

Their team lost to the opponent in the match.

这支军队被敌人打,只好撤退。

zhè zhī jūn duì bèi dí rén dǎ bài,zhǐ hǎo chè tuì。

This army was defeated by the enemy and had no choice but to retreat.

Words with 败

连败

lián bài

consecutive defeats

道德败坏

dào dé bài huài

vice

酸败

suān bài

(milk) to turn sour

金玉其外,败絮其中

jīn yù qí wài , bài xù qí zhōng

gilded exterior, shabby and ruined on the inside (idiom)

金玉其表,败絮其中

jīn yù qí biǎo , bài xù qí zhōng

gilded exterior, shabby and ruined on the inside (idiom)

开败

kāi bài

to wither and fall

虽败犹荣

suī bài yóu róng

honorable even in defeat (idiom)

颓败

tuí bài

to decay

骄兵必败

jiāo bīng bì bài

lit. an arrogant army is bound to lose (idiom)

骄者必败

jiāo zhě bì bài

pride goes before a fall (idiom)

一败涂地

yī bài tú dì

lit. defeated, the ground blanketed with bodies (idiom)

不分胜败

bù fēn shèng bài

to not be able to distinguish who's winning

More characters with 贝