Onyomi: フ · Kunyomi: お.う, ま.かす, ま.ける · Meanings: -, assume a responsibility, bear, defeat, minus, negative, owe
Kanji for -, assume a responsibility, bear, defeat, minus
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Find visually similar kanji, commonly confused characters, related meanings, and useful words connected to 負.
負 is made from 貝, meaning “shell” or “money,” and 勹, which originally relates to wrapping or carrying. In ancient times, shells were used as valuables, so carrying them meant handling something important. From this idea of carrying something valuable and being responsible for it, 負 came to mean to bear, carry, take responsibility, or suffer a loss.
負 shows carrying something valuable on your back, representing a burden or responsibility.
Picture carrying a heavy bag of shells on your back. That sense of bearing a burden is 負.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 負 | ふ | negative, minus | common Noun, Noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no' |
| 笈 | おい | wooden box carried on one's back to store items for a pilgrimage | Noun |
| 負債 | ふさい | debt, liabilities | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 負ける | まける | to lose, to be defeated | common JLPT-N4 Ichidan verb, Intransitive verb |
| 負け | まけ | defeat, loss, losing (a game) | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 負う | おう | to carry on one's back, to bear, to shoulder | common JLPT-N1 Godan verb with 'u' ending, Transitive verb |
| 負傷 | ふしょう | injury, wound | common JLPT-N1 Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb, Intransitive verb |
| 負担 | ふたん | burden, load, responsibility | common JLPT-N1 Noun |
| 負かす | まかす | to defeat | common JLPT-N1 Godan verb with 'su' ending, Transitive verb |
| 負荷 | ふか | burdening, bearing, shouldering, imposing | common Noun, Suru verb, Transitive verb |