असफल (asphal)
adjective
A single-sense adjective meaning 'unsuccessful/failed'; formed by adding the negative prefix अ (a) to सफल (saphal, 'successful').
Sense
1
:
unsuccessful, failed
adjective
Synonyms: नाकाम (naakaam), नाकामयाब (naakaamyaab)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly around exam season -- परीक्षा में असफल होना (pariikshaa men asphal honaa, 'to fail in an exam') is a stock phrase every Indian student dreads. Its opposite सफल (saphal) is just as common, so learning the pair together is efficient.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners sometimes try to negate सफल (saphal) with नहीं (nahiin) instead of using the prefixed form असफल (asphal) -- both सफल नहीं (saphal nahiin, 'not successful') and असफल (asphal) are heard, but असफल (asphal) is the more natural single-word adjective in writing and formal speech. 2) With होना (honaa) the person or thing that fails takes no special postposition -- वह असफल हुआ (vah asphal huaa, 'he failed'), unlike English 'failed at' which might tempt learners to add a postposition.
Sample Sentences:
वह परीक्षा में असफल हो गया।
He failed in the exam.
(vah pariikshaa men asphal ho gayaa।)
अगर तुमने मेहनत नहीं की तो तुम असफल हो जाओगे।
If you don't work hard, you'll end up failing.
(agar tumne mehnat nahiin kii to tum asphal ho jaaoge।)
बहुत से छात्र हर साल परीक्षा में असफल होते हैं।
Many students fail in exams every year.
(bahut se chhaatr har saal pariikshaa men asphal hote hain।)
अगर वह थोड़ा और ध्यान देता तो असफल न होता।
If he had paid a bit more attention, he wouldn't have failed.
(agar vah thodaa aur dhyaan detaa to asphal n hotaa।)
इस बार असफल मत होना, वरना पापा बहुत नाराज़ होंगे।
Don't fail this time, or Papa will be very angry.
(is baar asphal mat honaa, varnaa paapaa bahut naaraaz honge।)
उसकी योजना पूरी तरह से असफल रही।
His plan turned out to be a complete failure.
(uskii yojnaa poorii tarah se asphal rahii।)
क्या तुम्हें डर है कि तुम असफल हो जाओगे?
Are you afraid that you will fail?
(kyaa tumhen dar hai ki tum asphal ho jaaoge?)
यह ज़रूरी नहीं कि जो कोशिश करे वह कभी असफल न हो।
It isn't necessary that whoever tries will never fail.
(yah zaroorii nahiin ki jo koshish kare vah kabhii asphal n ho।)
उद्घाटन समारोह की सारी तैयारियाँ असफल घोषित कर दी गईं।
All the preparations for the inauguration ceremony were declared a failure.
(udghaatan samaaroh kii saarii taiyaariyaan asphal ghoshit kar dii gaiin।)
सफल होना है या असफल, यह तुम्हारी मेहनत पर निर्भर करता है।
Whether you succeed or fail depends on your hard work.
(saphal honaa hai yaa asphal, yah tumhaarii mehnat par nirbhar kartaa hai।)
असफल प्रयासों से ही सीख मिलती है।
It is only from failed attempts that one learns.
(asphal prayaason se hii siikh miltii hai।)
Morphology
Adjective (variable)
(sg.m):
असफल
(asphal)
(pl.m):
असफले
(asaphle)
(sg.f):
असफली
(asaphlii)
(pl.f):
असफली
(asaphlii)