Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Paralyzed; Crippled; Palsied: Describes a body part or person that has lost, either partially or completely, the ability to move or function due to injury or illness.
   • Exhausted; Spent; Drained: Describes a state of being extremely tired or having one's strength completely depleted.
   • Defeated; Beaten; Unsuccessful: Describes the state of having lost a contest, battle, or endeavor.

2. Verb:

   • To fail; To be unsuccessful: To not achieve a desired goal or outcome.
   • To be defeated; To be worsted: To lose in a competition, conflict, or argument.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • Sau tai nạn, ông cụ bị bại một chân. (After the accident, the old man was crippled in one leg.)
  • Sau chặng đường dài, cả đội đều bại sức. (After the long journey, the whole team was exhausted.)
  • Đội chủ nhà là đội bại trận. (The home team was the defeated side.)

• Verb:

  • Kế hoạch kinh doanh có thể thành hoặc bại. (The business plan may succeed or fail.)
  • Đối thủ đã hoàn toàn bại dưới tay võ sĩ đó. (The opponent was completely defeated by that martial artist.)

Advanced Usage

• "bại liệt": (adjective/medical term) paralyzed, specifically referring to paralysis, such as from polio.

  • Căn bệnh khiến hàng nghìn trẻ em bị bại liệt. (The disease left thousands of children paralyzed.)

• "bại hoại": (adjective) corrupt, depraved, morally ruined.

  • Một lối sống bại hoại. (A depraved lifestyle.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thất bại (v/n): to fail; failure. This is the most common and general term for failure.

  • Dự án đã thất bại. (The project failed.)

• Đại bại (n): a great or crushing defeat.

  • Quân đội phải chịu một trận đại bại. (The army suffered a crushing defeat.)

• Bại trận (v): to be defeated in battle.

  • Tướng đó chưa từng bại trận. (That general has never been defeated in battle.)

Synonyms

• Paralyzed: incapacitated, immobilized.
• Exhausted: fatigued, weary, depleted.
• Defeated: beaten, vanquished, overcome.
• To fail: to not succeed, to fall short.

Related Idioms

• Bại bất khả chiến: (Literally: a defeat that cannot be fought) describes a situation or position that is irrecoverable or hopeless.

  • Lúc đó, công ty đã rơi vào thế bại bất khả chiến. (At that point, the company was in an irrecoverable position.)

• Thắng không kiêu, bại không nản: (Literally: When victorious, do not be arrogant; when defeated, do not be discouraged.) A proverb advocating for humility in success and resilience in failure.

  • Tinh thần thắng không kiêu, bại không nản rất đáng học hỏi. (The spirit of "no arrogance in victory, no discouragement in defeat" is worth learning.)

adj

1. Paralysed, crippled
   • bại cánh tay
     To have an arm paralysed
   • bại nửa người
     to have half the body paralyzed, to suffer from hemiplegia
2. In a state of near exhaustion, almost exhausted
   • cái đói ghê gớm làm họ bại hẳn sức
     the dreadful famine drove them into a state of near exhaustion

verb

1. To fail
   • công việc thành hay bại phần lớn là do ở ta
     failure or success in this undertaking depends mostly on us
2. To be worsted, to be defeated
   • thắng không kiêu, bại không nản
     no vain glory when victorious, no despondency when defeated