Translation guide
How to express 'be beaten' in Japanese, covering physical defeat, emotional defeat, being struck, and idiomatic uses.
The speaker or subject loses a contest, match, or physical confrontation.
The most common and general verb for losing a game, match, or fight. Can be used for sports, arguments, battles, etc.
昨日の試合で負けた。
I lost in yesterday's game.
彼にチェスで負けた。
I was beaten by him at chess.
A more formal or literary term for being defeated, often used in news or writing. Implies a decisive loss.
そのチームは決勝で敗れた。
The team was beaten in the finals.
A colloquial passive form meaning 'to be done in' or 'to get beaten'. Often used in casual speech for being defeated or overwhelmed.
あの強い相手にやられた。
I got beaten by that strong opponent.
A compound verb meaning 'to be utterly defeated' or 'to be beaten down'. Emphasizes being overpowered.
敵に打ち負かされた。
We were beaten by the enemy.
The subject receives blows or physical punishment.
Passive form of 殴る (to punch/hit). Specifically means being punched or beaten with fists.
彼に顔を殴られた。
I was beaten in the face by him.
強盗に殴られてけがをした。
I was beaten by a robber and injured.
Passive of 叩く (to hit/strike). Can refer to being hit with an object or slapped. Broader than 殴られる.
子供の頃、よく親に叩かれた。
When I was a child, I was often beaten by my parents.
Passive of 打つ (to strike). Often used for being hit with a stick, whip, or in a more formal/abstract sense.
Slang expression meaning 'to be beaten up badly' or 'to get pummeled'. Very casual.
けんかでボコボコにされた。
I got beaten up in a fight.
The subject feels overwhelmed, crushed, or defeated by circumstances or emotions.
Means 'to be knocked down' emotionally or mentally. Conveys being devastated by a setback.
その知らせに打ちのめされた。
I was beaten down by the news.
Literally 'one's heart breaks'. Means to lose spirit or give up after repeated failure. Common in casual contexts.
何度も失敗して心が折れた。
I was beaten by repeated failures.
To be frustrated or to suffer a setback. Often used for giving up on a goal due to difficulty.
彼は夢に挫折した。
He was beaten by his dream (i.e., gave up).
Someone else's performance or quality exceeds the subject's.
Also used for being inferior in quality or skill. 'This product is no match for that one.'
この料理はあの店の味に負ける。
This dish is beaten by the taste of that restaurant.
Means 'cannot match' or 'is no match for'. Often used to admit someone's superiority.
The subject is overwhelmed by rain, heat, or other elements.
Casual way to say you were 'beaten' by the weather, e.g., heat got to you.
今年の暑さにやられた。
I was beaten by this year's heat.
Can be used with weather when you succumb to it.
Specifically losing in a race or being overtaken.
General term for losing a race.
100メートル走で負けた。
I was beaten in the 100-meter dash.
Passive of 抜く (to overtake). Means to be passed or overtaken in a race.
最後の直線で抜かれた。
I was beaten on the final straight.
In English, 'beaten eggs' uses 'beaten', but in Japanese, use 溶き卵 (ときたまご) for beaten eggs, not 殴られた卵. The verb 溶く (とく) means to beat/mix.
負ける is the everyday word for losing. 敗れる is more formal and often used in writing or news. 負ける can be used for trivial things; 敗れる implies a more significant defeat.
I was beaten with a whip.
彼の才能には敵わない。
I am beaten by his talent (I can't compete).
Beaten by the heat, I turned on the air conditioner.