负 (fù) - to carry & to bear

负Tone 4

fù ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 贝

枫惠

负 · fù

to carry;

to bear;

to shoulder;

burden;

negative (math);

to lose;

to fail;

to owe;

to betray.

to carryto bearto shoulder

Usage highlights

ResponsibilityBurdenNegative numberLose a gameNegative chargeNegative effect

Synonyms

  • 担— to carry, bear
  • 背— to carry on the back
  • 欠— to owe
  • 输— to lose (in competition)

Antonyms

  • 正— positive, correct
  • 胜— to win
  • 得— to gain, obtain

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He bears a heavy responsibility (负责任).
  • The result is negative (负数).
  • We lost the game (负于对手).
  • She owes a debt of gratitude (负恩).

Collocations

  • Responsibility(责任)
  • Burden(负担)
  • Negative number(负数)
  • Lose a game(负局)
  • Negative charge(负电荷)
  • Negative effect(负面影响)

Idioms

  • Carry weight and travel far(负重致远)
  • Bear a heavy responsibility(肩负重任)
  • A tie where neither wins nor loses(不分胜负)
  • Turn disgrace into honor(负辱前行)
  • Fail to live up to expectations(有负重托)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted carrying a bundle of goods on one's back, representing the concept of bearing a load.
  • In traditional thought, bearing responsibility is seen as a virtue, while 'negative' aspects relate to failure or debt.
  • Used in mathematics to denote negative values, contrasting with positive (正).

FAQ