defeat

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 敗 has 11 strokes and the on-reading はい. 敗れる (やぶれる) means to lose a contest; 失敗 (しっぱい) means an unsuccessful attempt or failure.
• Basic usage: 敗れる concerns losing to an opponent; 失敗 concerns an activity such as cake making not going as intended.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Losing a contest and failing at a task
  • 王者に敗れても means even after losing to the champion. The opponent who won precedes に, and smiling and shaking hands follow.
  • In ケーキ作りに失敗したが, cake making is the unsuccessful activity. The following 味は悪くなかった means the taste was not bad, so the failure is not a negative judgment on every aspect.