勝利 / 胜利
shènglì
The English phrase 'victory' is expressed in Chinese as 勝利 / 胜利 (shènglì). If unsure, use 勝利 / 胜利. Wiktionary also lists 捷 (jié).
Meaning: condition or state of having won a battle or competition, or having succeeded in an effort, an instance of this (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 勝利 / 胜利 | shènglì | |
| 捷 | jié | in compounds, literary |
勝利 / 胜利 refers to the condition or state of having won a battle or competition, or having succeeded in an effort. A common way to express 'achieving victory' is by using the collocation 取得胜利.
What does it mean word for word?
The character 胜 (shèng) literally means to win or to surpass.
Which one should you use?
While 勝利 / 胜利 is the standard word for victory, the single character 捷 is used in more formal or literary compounds to denote a victory or a triumph.
How do you pronounce it?
shènglì
Did you know?
- The character 捷 shares an ancient linguistic root with 妾, a word meaning 'concubine' or 'slave woman'. Both words likely derived from the idea of being captured or seized.
- The expression for victory 胜利 consists of two parts: 胜 meaning 'to win' and 利 meaning 'profit' or 'advantage'. This implies that victory is fundamentally tied to gaining a beneficial edge.
- In modern Chinese, the word for 'victory' 胜利 is often used as a name for people or businesses to attract good fortune and success.
Examples in context
- 他们在决赛中取得了胜利。They achieved victory in the finals.
- 通过努力，我们最终得胜了。Through our efforts, we eventually achieved victory.
- 我昨天在棋局中赢了他。I won against him in the game of chess yesterday.
- 他在选举中胜出了。He emerged victorious in the election.
- 我们的项目大功告成了！Our project is a great success!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “victory” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 捷, CC BY-SA 4.0.
