Meaning of 负
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to bear
- to carry (on one's back)
- to turn one's back on
- to be defeated
- negative (math. etc)
How to use 负
负 (fù) rarely stands alone in daily speech. It mostly appears in compounds like 负责 (fùzé, to be responsible), 负担 (fùdān, burden), and 胜负 (shèngfù, victory or defeat), and in math it means "negative." Example: 这件事由我负责。(Zhè jiàn shì yóu wǒ fùzé.) I am responsible for this matter.
The top of 负 (fù) looks like a person bent over, and the bottom is 贝 (bèi), the old symbol for money or shells. Picture someone hunched over carrying a heavy load of money on their back, which gives you "to bear" or "to carry a burden."
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 负 (fù) with 页 (yè, page) or 员 (yuán, member), since all three sit on a 贝-like bottom. Also, in 欺负 (qīfu, to bully) the 负 is usually said in a neutral tone, not a full fourth tone.
负 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
负 fù · to bear · 6 strokes
- 1
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- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 负.
| 负责 | fùzé | to be responsible for; to be in charge of; to bear responsibility for; conscientious |
| 负担 | fùdān | to bear (an expense, a responsibility etc); burden |
| 负责人 | fùzérén | person in charge |
| 胜负 | shèngfù | victory or defeat; the outcome of a battle |
| 欺负 | qīfu | to bully |
| 辜负 | gūfù | to fail to live up to (sb's expectations, trust or kindness); to let down |
| 自负 | zìfù | conceited; to take responsibility |
| 负面 | fùmiàn | negative; the negative side |
| 抱负 | bàofù | aspiration; ambition |
| 肩负 | jiānfù | to shoulder (a burden); to bear |
| 担负 | dānfù | to shoulder; to bear |
| 负有 | fùyǒu | to be responsible for |
Questions about 负
What does 负 mean?
负 (fù) means "to bear; to carry (on one's back)" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 负?
负 is made of 1 character: 负 (6 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 负 an HSK word?
Yes. 负 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 负 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 负 is written 負.
How do you say negative numbers in Chinese using 负?
Put 负 (fù) before the number. For example, -5 is 负五 (fù wǔ), and -3°C is 零下三度 (língxià sān dù) or 负三度 (fù sān dù).
What is the difference between 负担 and 负责?
负担 (fùdān) focuses on carrying a weight, like an expense or pressure, and also works as a noun meaning "burden." 负责 (fùzé) means being in charge of or accountable for a task or person.