Kanji 負

音読おんよみ: フ

訓読くんよみ: まける・おう

画数かくすう: 9

部首ぶしゅ: かい（貝）

Meaning

Lose / Bear / Carry / Defeat

  • Basic forms
  • 負ける — to lose; be defeated / base form
  • 負けます — (I) lose / masu form
  • 負けた — lost / ta form
  • 負けて — lose and …; please lose (contextual) / te-form
  • 負けない — don’t lose / negative form
  • 負ければ — if (someone) loses / conditional
  • 負けろ・負けよ — lose! (rare command) / imperative
  • Other common forms
  • 負けたい — want to lose (rare) / 〜たい form
  • 負けられる — can lose; can afford to lose / potential
  • 負けられた — could lose (rare usage) / past potential
  • 負けられない — cannot lose; must not be defeated / negative potential
  • More
  • 負けよう — let’s give in; let’s lose (contextual nuance) / 〜よう form
  • 負けなかった — didn’t lose / past negative
  • 負けている — is losing; is being defeated / progressive
負ける（まける） is an ichidan (る-verb). Drop る to add endings such as ます, た, て, ない. Used for games, sports, competitions, and figuratively as “to give in” or “to yield,” as in 誘惑ゆうわくに負ける (give in to temptation).
  • 負担ふたん — burden, responsibility
  • 勝負しょうぶ — match, game, contest
  • 抱負ほうふ — aspiration, ambition
  • 責任せきにんを負おう — to take responsibility
  • 負傷ふしょう — injury, wounded
  • 負数ふすう — negative number
More examples - tap to expand
  • 負託ふたく — entrustment, responsibility given
  • 負荷ふか — load, stress, burden
  • 自負じふ — self-confidence, pride
Compound Verbs - tap to expand
  • 競せり負まける — to lose narrowly; to be edged out
  • 背せ負おう — to carry on one's back; to shoulder (a burden)
  • 請うけ負おう — to contract; to undertake
  • 負まけ越こす — to end up with more losses than wins (sports)

負 combines the shell radical (貝), often symbolizing wealth, with a person (⺈) carrying or taking something on. It originally meant "to carry on the back," but its meanings extended to include "to lose" in competitive situations and "to bear" responsibility.

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