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赢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
yíngto beatHSK 4, v, 17 strokes, radical 贝, rank #410, Medium
yíngto winHSK 4, v, 17 strokes, radical 贝, rank #410, Medium
yíngto profitHSK 4, v, 17 strokes, radical 贝, rank #410, Medium
yíngto win, to gain; surplus, profitHSK 4, v, 17 strokes, radical 贝, rank #410, Medium
yíng(ying2) T2
  1. 1to beat
  2. 2to win
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(贏)yíng(ying2)

The character 赢 (yíng) means 'to win' or 'to beat' and is commonly used in contexts such as competitions, games, or financial success. It implies not only victory but also gaining something, whether it's a prize, profit, or advantage. The nuance can extend to winning in arguments or negotiations as well.

Strokes17RadicalFrequency#410DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, winning is often associated with honor and respect, making the concept of '赢' significant in both personal and professional realms. For example, winning a game during the Lunar New Year festivities is believed to bring good luck for the year ahead.

Memory Tip

Imagine a winner holding a golden trophy that shines with the character '赢' inscribed on it. The '赢' looks like a person holding a trophy above their head, celebrating their victory. Remember 'yíng' by linking the 'y' with 'you' winning something precious.

Meanings of 赢

yíng(ying2)
1to beat
2to win
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 赢

Simplified
Traditional
17Strokes
Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#410Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4ElementaryTOCFLL3HSKKL2BCTCEFRA2

Podcast: 赢

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AI Study Notes for 赢

Quick Contrast

输 (shū) vs 胜 (shèng) — choose 赢 (yíng) when emphasizing gaining a prize or advantage, while 胜 (shèng) focuses solely on victory without the implication of gaining something.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a winner holding a golden trophy that shines with the character '赢' inscribed on it. The '赢' looks like a person holding a trophy above their head, celebrating their victory. Remember 'yíng' by linking the 'y' with 'you' winning something precious.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing '赢' with '赢得' (yíngdé), which specifically means 'to win something' as an achievement. In informal settings, '赢' can simply imply winning a game, while in business contexts, it often refers to making a profit. Pay attention to the tones; incorrect pronunciation can change the meaning.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 4 word, '赢' connects with other verbs of achievement and success, such as '得' (dé) which means to obtain. Students should focus on practicing sentence structures where '赢' is used, especially in competitive or financial contexts.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, winning is often associated with honor and respect, making the concept of '赢' significant in both personal and professional realms. For example, winning a game during the Lunar New Year festivities is believed to bring good luck for the year ahead.

Common Mistakes

Learners often misuse '赢' when they should use '赢得' to indicate winning an award or competition. For example, saying '我赢了比赛' (I won the competition) is correct, but saying '我赢得了比赛' is more precise and formal.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 赢

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Etymology of 赢

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

Simplified form of 贏. Phonosemantic compound. 貝 represents the meaning and 𣎆 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

money

Semantic (meaning)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 赢?

Decomposition of 赢

IDS Structure⿱吂⿲⺼贝?
Full Character
=
mang2
top
rou4
left
Bei4
middle
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 赢?

Write 赢

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 赢

赢 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.

是…的 emphasis是 + [V] + 的
HSK 3

This pattern emphasizes the action of winning in a specific context.

比赛是我赢的。

Bǐsài shì wǒ yíng de.

It was I who won the match.

Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

不管我们怎么争来争去,____是没有用的。

No matter how much we argue back and forth, winning is pointless.

Common Confusions with 赢

vs
yǐng

Similar pronunciation but different meaning.

赢 (to win) and 输 (to lose) are opposites and often confused.

1

他赢了比赛,但她输了。

赢 (to win) and 输 (to lose) are opposites and often confused.

💡赢 has a '赢' sound, while 输 has a '输' sound; remember they are opposites.
Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "to beat"?

or

Usage Notes for 赢

Incorrect Usage of 赢Common Error

Be careful not to confuse 赢 with other similar verbs like 赢得 (to win) and 赢利 (to profit).

1

他赢了比赛,但不是赢利。

He won the match, but it wasn't a profit.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

他____了比赛,但不是赢利。

He won the match, but it wasn't a profit.

Example Sentences for 赢 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
赢得如此重大的比赛确实使我信心倍增。

yíng dé rú cǐ zhòng dà de bǐ sài què shí shǐ wǒ xìn xīn bèi zēng。

It did give me a boost to win such a big event.
2
你为什么做每件事情都跟你非要赢似的?

nǐ wéi shí mó zuò měi jiàn shì qíng dū gēn nǐ fēi yào yíng sì de?

Why must you do everything as if you have to win?
3
澳大利亚的英式橄榄球联盟队创纪录地赢了法国队。

ào dà lì yà de yīng shì gǎn lǎn qiú lián méng duì chuàng jì lù dì yíng le fǎ guó duì。

Australia's rugby union side enjoyed a record-breaking win over France.
4
这份报纸的调查性新闻报道为其赢得了尊敬。

zhè fèn bào zhǐ de tiáo chá xìng xīn wén bào dào wéi qí yíng dé le zūn jìng。

The paper has earned respect for its investigative journalism.
5
最后几分钟的时候他们差一点赢了这场比赛。

zuì hòu jī fēn zhōng de shí hòu tā mén chà yī diǎn yíng le zhè cháng bǐ sài。

They almost won the match in the closing minutes.
6
他以压倒性多数赢得上月的总统选举。

tā yǐ yā dǎo xìng duō shù yíng dé shàng yuè de zǒng tǒng xuǎn jǔ。

He won last month's presidential election by a landslide.
7
他的球投得极棒,使我们赢下了两场比赛。

tā de qiú tóu dé jí bàng, , shǐ wǒ mén yíng xià le liǎng cháng bǐ。

He bowled so well that we won two matches.
8
他参加过多次比赛,赢得了数枚金牌。

tā cān jiā guò duō cì bǐ sài, , yíng dé le shù méi jīn。

He entered for many competitions, winning several gold medals.
9
他赢了,但是赢得十分勉强。

tā yíng le, , dàn shì yíng dé shí fēn miǎn。

He won, but only by the skin of his teeth.
10
他们赢得下届选举的机会在五成以上。

tā mén yíng dé xià jiè xuǎn jǔ de jī huì zài wǔ chéng yǐ shàng。

They have a more than even chance of winning the next election.

Cultural Notes for 赢

💡Did you know?

The character '赢' is often associated with success and victory in Chinese culture. Winning is highly valued in competitions, from sports to exams. In many ways, it reflects the spirit of striving for excellence.

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, winning is often associated with honor and respect, making the concept of '赢' significant in both personal and professional realms. For example, winning a game during the Lunar New Year festivities is believed to bring good luck for the year ahead.

Word Family of 赢

Words Containing This Character6
yíngto beat
赢得yíngdéto win贏得
赢利gain贏利
赢家yíngjiāwinner贏家
输赢win or loss輸贏
赢余surplus贏餘
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 赢 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 赢

赢 (yíng) means 'to win' while 输 (shū) means 'to lose' in Chinese. These terms are often used in the context of games or competitions. Understanding the contrast between these two words can help learners express victory or defeat more effectively.