負 (fù) - to bear, to carry & to owe

負Tone 4

fù ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

負 · fù

to bear, to carry;

to owe;

to suffer;

negative (mathematics);

to rely on;

to be defeated

to bear, to carryto oweto suffer

Usage highlights

ResponsibilityDebtNegative numberNegative chargeBurdenDefeat

Synonyms

  • 擔— to carry, to bear
  • 背— to carry on the back
  • 欠— to owe

Antonyms

  • 正— positive, correct
  • 勝— to win, victory
  • 償— to repay, compensate

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He bears heavy responsibilities (負責任).
  • The company has significant debt (負債).
  • This battery has a negative charge (負電荷).
  • The team suffered a defeat (負於對手).

Collocations

  • Responsibility(負責任)
  • Debt(負債)
  • Negative number(負數)
  • Negative charge(負電)
  • Burden(負擔)
  • Defeat(負敗)

Idioms

  • Carry a heavy burden on a long journey(負重致遠)
  • Bear humiliation to fulfill a mission(負辱負重)
  • Be ungrateful and turn against one's benefactor(負恩忘義)
  • Be defeated and flee(負敗而逃)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted a person carrying shells (currency) on their back, representing the concept of bearing or owing.
  • In traditional Chinese culture, bearing responsibility (負責任) is considered an important virtue.
  • The character carries both positive connotations (responsibility-bearing) and negative ones (debt, defeat).

FAQ