Meaning
胜利
shèng lì
Victory
- 胜
- to win
- 利
- benefit, advantage
The everyday word for victory.
Victory in Chinese
The Chinese word for victory is 胜利 (shèng lì). The everyday word for victory. In traditional characters it is written 勝利.
胜利
shèng lì
Victory
What 胜利 means.
胜 is to win and 利 is gain, so 胜利 is a win that brings advantage. Sun Tzu's Art of War counts it the highest skill to win without fighting at all (不战而屈人之兵).
- 胜
- to win
- 利
- benefit, advantage
Simplified and traditional
胜利
勝利
Both are correct and mean the same. Traditional 勝利 keeps the older, fuller shape that calligraphy grew up with; simplified 胜利 is what most Chinese readers use today. Our seal and clerical styles write it in the traditional form.
Pick the shade of meaning.
Chinese often has more than one word where English has one. Here is how they differ.
Meaning
胜
shèng
Victory
- 胜
- to win, victory
One bold character.
About victory in Chinese
How do you write victory in Chinese?
Victory is 胜利 in Chinese, pronounced shèng lì. Victory 胜 means “to win”, 利 means “benefit, advantage”.
How do you pronounce 胜利?
Say shèng (fourth tone, falling), lì (fourth tone, falling). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 胜利 different in traditional Chinese?
Yes. The traditional form is 勝利, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and classical calligraphy; 胜利 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore. Both are correct.
What other Chinese words mean victory?
胜 (shèng): Victory One bold character.
Is 胜利 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.