负 meaning and stroke order
To bear; to carry (on one's back); to turn one's back on
How to write 负, stroke by stroke
6 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 负
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to bear
- to carry (on one's back)
- to turn one's back on
- to be defeated
- negative (math. etc)
How 负 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person 人 carrying a lot of money 贝.
Radical: 贝 (sea shell), shared by 63 characters on this site.
How to remember 负
The top part ⺈ is a person bending forward, and the bottom is 贝 (bèi), a shell that stood for money. Picture someone hunched over carrying a heavy sack of money on their back, and you have 负 (fù), to carry a load or burden.
负 rarely stands alone in speech and mostly appears in compounds about responsibility, burden, defeat, or negativity. The most common word is 负责 (fùzé), to be responsible for. Example: 这个项目由她负责。(Zhège xiàngmù yóu tā fùzé.) She is in charge of this project.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 负 (fù) with 页 (yè, page), because both sit on a similar bottom part, but 页 has a flat line on top while 负 has the hooked ⺈. Also note that in 欺负 (qīfu) the 负 is usually said in the neutral tone, not fourth tone.
Common words with 负
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 负责 | fùzé | to be responsible for; to be in charge of; to bear responsibility for; conscientious | HSK 3 |
| 负担 | fùdān | to bear (an expense, a responsibility etc); burden | HSK 4 |
| 负责人 | fùzérén | person in charge | HSK 5 |
| 胜负 | shèngfù | victory or defeat; the outcome of a battle | HSK 5 |
| 欺负 | qīfu | to bully | HSK 6 |
| 辜负 | gūfù | to fail to live up to (sb's expectations, trust or kindness); to let down | HSK 7-9 |
| 自负 | zìfù | conceited; to take responsibility | HSK 7-9 |
| 负面 | fùmiàn | negative; the negative side | HSK 7-9 |
| 抱负 | bàofù | aspiration; ambition | HSK 7-9 |
| 肩负 | jiānfù | to shoulder (a burden); to bear | HSK 7-9 |
| 担负 | dānfù | to shoulder; to bear | HSK 7-9 |
| 负有 | fùyǒu | to be responsible for | HSK 7-9 |
| 后果自负 | hòuguǒzìfù | to take responsibility for the consequences of risky behavior; to have only oneself to bla | |
| 背负 | bēifù | to bear; to carry on one's back |
负 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 负
How many strokes are in 负?
负 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 负 mean?
负 (fù) means to bear; to carry (on one's back); to turn one's back on. A common word with it is 负责 (fùzé), meaning "to be responsible for; to be in charge of; to bear responsibility for; conscientious".
How do you pronounce 负?
负 is pronounced fù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 负?
The radical of 负 is 贝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 负 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 负?
The traditional form of 负 is 負. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 负 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 负 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 负 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
How do you say negative numbers with 负?
Put 负 in front of the number, so -5 is 负五 (fù wǔ). It is also used for temperatures, as in 负十度 (fù shí dù), minus ten degrees.
Why does 负 mean both to carry and to be defeated?
The dictionary lists both senses. To be defeated appears in words like 胜负 (shèngfù), victory or defeat, and sports scores such as 三比一负 for a loss. A related sense, to turn one's back on, shows up in 辜负 (gūfù), to let someone down.