bàisù: 败诉 - To Lose a Lawsuit, Lose a Case

• Keywords: bàisù, 败诉, lose a lawsuit in Chinese, lose a court case, Chinese legal terms, legal vocabulary Chinese, 勝訴 vs 败诉, lawsuit Chinese, appeal a verdict Chinese, legal Mandarin
• Summary: Learn the meaning and usage of 败诉 (bàisù), the formal Chinese verb for “to lose a lawsuit” or “lose a legal case.” This guide breaks down the characters 败 (defeat) and 诉 (sue), provides cultural context on the Chinese legal system, and offers 10 practical example sentences. Discover the crucial difference between 败诉 and the general word for “lose” (输 shū) to avoid common mistakes and understand its opposite, 胜诉 (shèngsù).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): bàisù
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: To be defeated in a lawsuit; to lose a legal case.
• In a Nutshell: 败诉 (bàisù) is a specific, formal term used exclusively in a legal context. It literally combines “defeat” (败) and “lawsuit” (诉) to mean losing a court case. If a company is sued for copyright infringement and the court rules against them, they have 败诉. It is the direct antonym of 胜诉 (shèngsù), “to win a lawsuit.”

• 败 (bài): This character means “to be defeated,” “to fail,” or “to lose.” You'll see it in words like 失败 (shībài), meaning “failure” or “to fail.” It carries a strong sense of defeat.
• 诉 (sù): This character means “to sue,” “to litigate,” or “to tell/inform.” It's directly linked to legal actions, appearing in terms like 诉讼 (sùsòng), “lawsuit,” and 起诉 (qǐsù), “to file a lawsuit.”
• The combination is perfectly logical: 败 (bài) + 诉 (sù) = to be defeated in a lawsuit.

While China's legal system is rapidly modernizing, traditional values still subtly influence perspectives on litigation. Historically, Chinese culture has often prioritized social harmony (和, hé) and preferred mediation over direct, public confrontation. Taking a dispute to court was often seen as a last resort, an admission that relationships had completely broken down. This contrasts with some Western cultures, particularly the United States, where litigation can be a more common first step in resolving major disputes. For this reason, the act of suing someone—and the resulting win or loss (胜诉/败诉)—can be perceived as a more serious and relationship-ending event than it might be in the West. While this is changing, understanding this background helps explain the gravity associated with formal legal terms like 败诉. It isn't just a legal outcome; it's the formal declaration of a victor and a vanquished in a conflict that has disrupted social balance.

败诉 (bàisù) is a formal and specific term. You will almost never hear it in casual, everyday conversation unless someone is explicitly discussing a court case.

• Formal Contexts: Its use is primarily confined to news reports, legal documents, legal-themed TV shows and movies, and serious discussions with lawyers or about legal matters.
• Connotation: The connotation is unequivocally negative for the subject who has 败诉. It signifies a definitive legal loss and often entails financial penalties, reputational damage, or other court-ordered consequences. It is always used in a neutral, factual tone when reporting an event.

• Example 1:
  • 他在这场官司中败诉了。
  • Pinyin: Tā zài zhè chǎng guānsi zhōng bàisù le.
  • English: He lost the lawsuit.
  • Analysis: A simple, direct sentence stating the outcome of a case. `官司 (guānsi)` is a common, slightly more colloquial word for “lawsuit.”
• Example 2:
  • 那家大公司因侵犯专利权而败诉。
  • Pinyin: Nà jiā dà gōngsī yīn qīnfàn zhuānlìquán ér bàisù.
  • English: That big company lost the case due to patent infringement.
  • Analysis: The structure `因…而… (yīn…ér…)` means “because of… therefore…” and is common in formal writing to explain a cause and effect.
• Example 3:
  • 如果证据不足，我们很可能会败诉。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ zhèngjù bùzú, wǒmen hěn kěnéng huì bàisù.
  • English: If the evidence is insufficient, it's highly likely we will lose the case.
  • Analysis: This shows 败诉 used to discuss a potential future outcome.
• Example 4:
  • 原告败诉，并被判支付所有诉讼费用。
  • Pinyin: Yuángào bàisù, bìng bèi pàn zhīfù suǒyǒu sùsòng fèiyòng.
  • English: The plaintiff lost the case and was ordered to pay all legal fees.
  • Analysis: `原告 (yuángào)` means “plaintiff.” This example shows a common consequence of losing a case.
• Example 5:
  • 一审败诉后，他们决定上诉。
  • Pinyin: Yīshěn bàisù hòu, tāmen juédìng shàngsù.
  • English: After losing the case in the first trial, they decided to appeal.
  • Analysis: `一审 (yīshěn)` means “first trial.” This sentence connects 败诉 to the next logical legal step, 上诉 (shàngsù), “to appeal.”
• Example 6:
  • 这次败诉给公司的声誉带来了巨大的负面影响。
  • Pinyin: Zhè cì bàisù gěi gōngsī de shēngyù dàilái le jùdà de fùmiàn yǐngxiǎng.
  • English: Losing this lawsuit brought a huge negative impact to the company's reputation.
  • Analysis: Here, 败诉 is used almost like a noun, “the loss of the lawsuit,” functioning as the subject of the sentence.
• Example 7:
  • 他的律师告诉他，败诉的风险很高。
  • Pinyin: Tā de lǜshī gàosù tā, bàisù de fēngxiǎn hěn gāo.
  • English: His lawyer told him that the risk of losing the case was very high.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates how to talk about the “risk of” losing a case.
• Example 8:
  • 尽管他请了最好的律师，最终还是败诉了。
  • Pinyin: Jǐnguǎn tā qǐng le zuì hǎo de lǜshī, zuìzhōng háishì bàisù le.
  • English: Although he hired the best lawyer, he still lost the case in the end.
  • Analysis: `尽管…还是… (jǐnguǎn…háishì…)` is a common structure for “although… still…”
• Example 9:
  • 法院驳回了他的所有主张，因此他败诉了。
  • Pinyin: Fǎyuàn bóhuí le tā de suǒyǒu zhǔzhāng, yīncǐ tā bàisù le.
  • English: The court rejected all of his claims, therefore he lost the case.
  • Analysis: `驳回 (bóhuí)` means “to reject” or “dismiss,” a formal term often used by courts.
• Example 10:
  • 媒体广泛报道了这家科技巨头败诉的消息。
  • Pinyin: Méitǐ guǎngfàn bàodào le zhè jiā kējì jùtóu bàisù de xiāoxi.
  • English: The media widely reported the news that the tech giant had lost its court case.
  • Analysis: Shows how the term is commonly used in news media.

The most common mistake for learners is using 败诉 (bàisù) for general, non-legal “losing.” 败诉 applies *only* to a formal judgment in a court of law.

• Do not use it for games, arguments, or competitions. For all other situations where you “lose,” you should use the general verb 输 (shū).
• 错误 (Incorrect): 我在象棋比赛中败诉了。
  • (Wǒ zài xiàngqí bǐsài zhōng bàisù le.)
  • Why it's wrong: A chess game is a competition, not a lawsuit. The outcome is not decided by a judge in a court.
• 正确 (Correct): 我在象棋比赛中输了。
  • (Wǒ zài xiàngqí bǐsài zhōng shū le.)
  • (I lost the chess match.)
• 错误 (Incorrect): 我们和他们辩论，最后我们败诉了。
  • (Wǒmen hé tāmen biànlùn, zuìhòu wǒmen bàisù le.)
  • Why it's wrong: A debate is an argument, not a legal proceeding.
• 正确 (Correct): 我们和他们辩论，最后我们输了。
  • (Wǒmen hé tāmen biànlùn, zuìhòu wǒmen shū le.)
  • (We had a debate with them, and in the end, we lost.)

• 胜诉 (shèngsù) - The direct antonym of 败诉; to win a lawsuit.
• 输 (shū) - The general verb for “to lose” (a game, a bet, a race). Essential for distinguishing from the specific legal meaning of 败诉.
• 上诉 (shàngsù) - To appeal a court decision. This is often the next step for someone who has 败诉.
• 起诉 (qǐsù) - To sue; to file a lawsuit. This is the action that initiates the legal process that could end in 败诉 or 胜诉.
• 诉讼 (sùsòng) - The general noun for a lawsuit or litigation.
• 官司 (guānsi) - A common, slightly less formal noun for a lawsuit (e.g., 打官司 dǎ guānsi - to go to court).
• 原告 (yuángào) - The plaintiff; the person or party who initiates a lawsuit.
• 被告 (bèigào) - The defendant; the person or party being sued.
• 败仗 (bàizhàng) - To lose a battle or war (lit. “defeated battle”). This shares the character 败 but is used in a military, not legal, context.
• 失败 (shībài) - Failure; to fail. A very general term for any kind of failure, from a business venture to an exam.