Japanese meaning of 失敗は成功のもと
Reading:
しっぱいはせいこうのもと (shippai wa seikō no moto)
English Translation:
Failure is the mother of success
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
Learning from mistakes leads to future success.
Cultural Context:
Often told in Japanese education and mentorship, reflecting a culture that values perseverance.
失敗から学び、それを糧にして将来の成功につなげるという意味。
教育や師弟関係でよく用いられ、粘り強さを重んじる日本文化を反映している。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• 失敗 (shippai) = “failure” (noun)
• は (wa) = topic particle
• 成功 (seikō) = “success” (noun)
• の (no) = possessive/attributive particle
• もと (moto) = “source” or “origin” (noun)
Topic–comment structure with の linking cause and effect.
Trap for English Speakers
Might be taken as promoting failure, instead of highlighting learning from mistakes.
Example
Basic Example
失敗を教訓にできれば、失敗は成功のもとと言える。
If we can learn from our mistakes, failure becomes the stepping stone to success.
Applied Example
予選敗退を糧にすれば、失敗は成功のもとになるはずだ。
If we use the prelim loss as fuel, failure becomes the stepping stone to success.