反败为胜

反敗為勝

fǎnbài-wéishèng

idiom #27,658

Meanings

1 to turn defeat into victory
2 to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
3 to come from behind and win

Characters

to reverse; to turn around; against

defeat; to fail; to lose

to become; to be (transformation marker)

victory; to win; to excel

Examples

HSK 7-9

下半场他们反败为胜，以3比2赢得了比赛。

Xià bànchǎng tāmen fǎnbài-wéishèng, yǐ sān bǐ èr yíngdé le bǐsài.

In the second half they turned it around and won 3-2.

HSK 7-9

她凭借顽强的意志，最终反败为胜。

Tā píngjiè wánqiáng de yìzhì, zuìzhōng fǎnbài-wéishèng.

With sheer willpower, she ultimately turned the tables and won.

Tips

usage

反败为胜 is commonly used in sports commentary, business narratives, and stories of overcoming adversity. It always implies a dramatic reversal - things looked bad, then turned around. The similar phrase 转败为胜 is interchangeable.

Stroke Order

反 fǎn

败 bài

为 wéi

胜 shèng