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不堪重负 (bù kān zhòng fù) — to be overwhelmed; unable to bear the burden

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'to be overwhelmed and unable to bear the burden' — typically used for heavy loads, debt, or pressure on people or institutions.

verb
to be overwhelmedunable to bear the burden

Examples

  • 不堪重负。
    Lián xù jiā bān ràng yuán gōng men bù kān zhòng fù.
    Consecutive overtime has overwhelmed the employees.
  • ，不堪重负。
    Tā de gōng sī zhài wù chán shēn, yǐ jīng bù kān zhòng fù le.
    His company is mired in debt and can no longer bear the burden.
  • 不堪重负。
    Zhè ge jiā tíng yīn wèi yī liáo fèi yòng ér bù kān zhòng fù.
    This family is overwhelmed by medical expenses.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

不堪cannot bear
不bùnot堪kānbear
偏正Modifier + head
重负heavy burden
重zhòngheavy负fùburden
偏正Modifier + head

“不堪” means cannot bear, and “重负” is a heavy burden.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
甚
甚shèn堪kān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 土 is earth. The right part 甚 gives the sound and also hints at something extreme, matching the old idea of a heavy earthen protrusion whose weight one bears.

Open 堪 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rénman
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng重zhòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

Open 重 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 負; 负 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 負 combines 人 (person) and 貝 (cowry), with 人 written as ⺈; the simplified 负 is a later abbreviation.

Open 负 →
Appears in
Emotions & FeelingsIdioms & Set Phrases

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