负 (fù) — (verb) to bear, to carry (a burden, responsibility, debt); (verb) to be defeated, to lose; (adjective) negative (in mathematics, electricity, temperature, etc.)
Definition
负 (fù) covers two distinct meanings at HSK 7: 'to bear' (a burden, debt, or responsibility — overlapping with 背负) and 'to lose/be defeated' (synonymous with 败). Note the spelling: 负责 = 'be responsible', not 负责.
verb
to bearto carry (a burden, responsibility, debt)to be defeatedto lose
adjective
negative (in mathematics, electricity, temperature, etc.)
Examples
- 。Tā fù zé zhè ge xiàng mù de guǎn lǐ.He is responsible for the management of this project.
- 负。Tā men duì yǐ yì fēn zhī chā fù le.Their team lost by one point.
- 负。Jīn tiān de wēn dù shì fù shí dù.Today's temperature is minus ten degrees.
Origin
Compound ideograph六书liùshū
会意huìyìTwo 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.
- ⺈人rénperson
- 貝貝bèicowry
The traditional form 負 combines 人 (person) and 貝 (cowry), with 人 written as ⺈; the simplified 负 is a later abbreviation.
Appears in
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