Meaning
to fail; to make a mistake; to go wrong; to be unsuccessful
Nuance & Usage
失敗する means to fail or make a mistake — when something goes wrong or doesn't achieve the intended result. 失敗を恐れる (to fear failure), 失敗から学ぶ (to learn from failure), 失敗作 (shippaisaku — a failed work), 失敗談 (shippai-dan — a story of one's failure/mishap) are common. In Japanese culture, the attitude toward failure is nuanced: 失敗は成功の元 (shippai wa seikou no moto — failure is the mother of success) is a well-known proverb. 失敗してもいい (it's okay to fail) reflects a growth mindset increasingly promoted in modern Japan.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 失敗する with 間違える (machigaeru — to make a mistake, error) and 負ける (makeru — to lose). 失敗する refers to broader failure of an attempt or endeavor; 間違える is about making an error on a specific point; 負ける is about losing to an opponent. 料理に失敗する (to fail at cooking) vs 料理を間違える (to make an error in cooking, like using wrong ingredients). 大失敗 (dai-shippai — a big failure) adds emphasis. Note the double consonant: し・っ・ぱ・い — don't miss the っ.
Example Sentences
初めて料理を作ったとき、大失敗してしまった。
はじめてりょうりをつくったとき、だいしっぱいしてしまった。
When I cooked for the first time, I failed miserably.
失敗を恐れていては、何も新しいことはできない。
しっぱいをおそれていては、なにもあたらしいことはできない。
If you fear failure, you can never do anything new.
プロジェクトは失敗したが、そこから多くのことを学んだ。
ぷろじぇくとはしっぱいしたが、そこからおおくのことをまなんだ。
The project failed, but we learned a lot from it.
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