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勝 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimphzg, 12 strokes, radical 力
shèng(sheng4) T4
  1. 1victory; to excel, to truimph
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

勝shèng(sheng4)

The character 勝 (shèng) means 'victory' or 'to excel.' It is commonly used in contexts related to winning competitions, achieving success, or surpassing others. The character conveys a sense of accomplishment and superiority in various situations, such as sports or personal achievements.

Strokes12Radical力
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, victory is often associated with traditional festivals and competitions, such as dragon boat racing and martial arts tournaments, where the spirit of 勝 is celebrated. The concept of winning is deeply embedded in social and family dynamics, often influencing personal and professional relationships.

Memory Tip

Imagine a victorious athlete standing on a podium, arms raised in triumph, surrounded by cheers. The character 勝 is composed of the radical '力' (strength) and '勝' which resembles a person overcoming a challenge. Picture the strength of effort leading to victory, helping you remember the pronunciation 'shèng' through the sound of 'triumph.'

Meanings of 勝

shèng(sheng4)
1victory; to excel, to truimph
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 勝

勝Simplified
12Strokes
力Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 勝

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Podcast: 勝

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AI Study Notes for 勝

Quick Contrast

胜 (shèng) vs 赢 (yíng) — use 勝 (shèng) to emphasize victory or superiority in a competitive context, while 赢 (yíng) focuses more on the act of winning itself.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 勝 with 省 (shěng), which means 'to save' or 'to economize.' 勝 is used in both formal and informal contexts, but it's especially common in competitive settings. Common collocations include 勝利 (shènglì, victory) and 超越 (chāoyuè, to surpass), emphasizing the idea of winning or excelling.

HSK Study Tips

As 勝 is not an HSK vocabulary word, learners should focus on its usage in contexts related to success and competition. Connecting it with other HSK words like 胜利 (victory) can help reinforce its meaning and usage, especially in discussions about achievements.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 勝 with 省 (shěng) due to similar pronunciation. For example, saying '我省了比赛' (Wǒ shěng le bǐsài) incorrectly suggests saving in a competition instead of winning. The correct phrase should be '我在比赛中胜出' (Wǒ zài bǐsài zhōng shèngchū).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 勝

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Etymology of 勝

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 生 represents the sound. Simplified form of 勝.

Memory Hint

flesh

Semantic (meaning)月
+
Phonetic (sound)劵
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 勝

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 生 represents the sound. Simplified form of 勝.

  1. 1The meaning half月 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half劵 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayflesh
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 勝? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 勝?

Decomposition of 勝

IDS Structure⿰月劵
勝Full Character
=
月yue4
left
劵juan4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 勝?

How to say victory; to excel, to truimph in Chinese

“victory; to excel, to truimph” in Chinese is勝shèng

The character 勝 (shèng) means 'victory' or 'to excel.' It is commonly used in contexts related to winning competitions, achieving success, or surpassing others. The character conveys a sense of accomplishment and superiority in various situations, such as sports or personal achievements.

When to use 勝

Be cautious not to confuse 勝 with 省 (shěng), which means 'to save' or 'to economize.' 勝 is used in both formal and informal contexts, but it's especially common in competitive settings. Common collocations include 勝利 (shènglì, victory) and 超越 (chāoyuè, to surpass), emphasizing the idea of winning or excelling.

勝 or something close to it

胜 (shèng) vs 赢 (yíng) — use 勝 (shèng) to emphasize victory or superiority in a competitive context, while 赢 (yíng) focuses more on the act of winning itself.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 勝 with 省 (shěng) due to similar pronunciation. For example, saying '我省了比赛' (Wǒ shěng le bǐsài) incorrectly suggests saving in a competition instead of winning. The correct phrase should be '我在比赛中胜出' (Wǒ zài bǐsài zhōng shèngchū).

Write 勝

勝

Practice writing 勝 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 勝

Words Containing This Character20
胜利shènglìvictory勝利
胜shèngvictory勝
战胜zhànshèngto defeat戰勝
获胜huòshèngvictorious獲勝
胜过to excel勝過
取胜qǔshèngto score a victory取勝
胜任shèngrènqualified勝任
胜负shèngfùvictory or defeat勝負
胜利者victor勝利者
胜地well-known scenic spot勝地
胜算odds of success勝算
不胜very不勝
胜诉to win a court case勝訴
决胜to determine victory決勝
战无不胜to succeed in every undertaking戰無不勝
全胜total victory全勝
引人入胜yǐnrénrùshèngto enchant引人入勝
险胜to barely win險勝
名胜míngshèngscenic spot名勝
得胜to triumph over an opponent得勝
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 胜利 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 勝

You can say '我在比赛中胜利了' (Wǒ zài bǐsài zhōng shènglì le), meaning 'I won the competition.'

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