Here is a very common mistake Japanese learners make when talking about sports:
❌ SoftBank won Nippon Ham 14 to 1.
In English, we don't normally win another team or person. We beat them.
So, we can say:
✅ SoftBank beat Nippon Ham 14 to 1.
✅ SoftBank won 14 to 1.
✅ SoftBank won the game, 14 to 1.
The Simple Rule
Use beat + opponent.
Japan beat Australia 3 to 1.
The Dodgers beat the Giants.
I beat my brother at tennis.
She beat me easily.
Use win + game, match, competition, prize, etc.
Japan won the game.
We won the match.
Our team won the championship.
She won the tournament.
He won first prize.
An easy way to remember it is:
You BEAT the opponent. You WIN the game.
What About “Lose”?
Be careful! Lose uses a different pattern:
✅ We lost to them.
❌ We lost them.
So:
We beat them.
We won the game.
We lost to them.
Three simple patterns that will make your English sound much more natural!
