The Meaning of shōhai [勝敗] In Japanese

勝敗
しょうはい
Romaji: shōhai N3

What does 勝敗 mean?

Translation and Meaning

victory, defeat, outcome of a contest

Definition

勝敗 means the result of a competition, identifying which side wins and which loses. It refers to the final outcome that decides victory or defeat and is used across sports, games, and tests to summarize who came out on top.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • the result of a match or contest, indicating the winning side and the losing side
  • the overall balance of wins and losses in a series or tournament
  • metaphorically, the decisive outcome in any comparison or decision-making process

Etymology

From 勝 (win) and 敗 (defeat), the compound is read shōhai in on’yomi; its pronunciation reflects the standard historical phonetic path of kanji compounds formed for describing contest outcomes.

Composition

  • 勝 win, success; the element that denotes victory in contrast to loss
  • 敗 defeat, loss; the counterpart to victory; together they express the overall outcome of a contest

Usage

Used in sports commentary, competitive analysis, business assessments, and everyday conversation to describe the final result of a match or contest. Common constructions include 勝敗が決まる, 勝敗を決する, and 勝敗を左右する.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a scoreboard with 勝 on the left rising and 敗 on the right falling—wins versus losses in one glance; this balance helps you recall the core meaning of the word.

Variations

  • 勝ち負け — kachi-make
  • 勝敗の行方 — shōhai no yukue
  • 敗北 — haiboku

Example Phrases

  • 友達と サッカーの 勝敗を 決める まで あと少しだ
    Tomodachi to sakkā no shōhai o kimeru made ato sukoshi da
    It’s just a little longer until we decide the soccer game’s outcome with friends.
    Lista:
    • 友達と (Tomodachi to) – with friends
    • サッカーの (sakkā no) – soccer’s
    • 勝敗を (shōhai o) – outcome (object marker)
    • 決める (kimeru) – to decide
    • まで (made) – until
    • あと少しだ (ato sukoshi da) – just a little more
    Here 「勝敗」 is used as the noun meaning ‘outcome.’ The phrase 勝敗を決める means ‘to decide the outcome’.
勝敗