敗 (bài)

failure; to decline, to fail, to suffer defeat

11 strokes

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 攵 represents the meaning and 貝 represents the sound.

Shuowen Jiezi

《說文》：“敗，毁也。从攴、貝。敗賊皆从貝，會意。贁，籀文敗，从賏。”

Components

貝 (sound)
攵 (meaning) — 攵 is a component form of 攴.