How to Write 负 (fù) — Meaning “to carry; to bear; negative; to lose”

Imagine a person using a knife (刀) to cut a rope tied to a heavy bag of shells (贝), struggling to carry it on their back. This visual represents a burden (负担) and also the idea of being negative or losing, since carrying such a load is difficult.

Start with the top part: first a left-falling stroke (丿), then a horizontal stroke that curves into a left-falling hook (横撇). Then write the bottom 贝: vertical line, horizontal right-angle, vertical line, and finally a dot. A common mistake is making the top part too large or forgetting the hook; keep the top narrow and the bottom wider.

贝 is just the bottom part of 负, without the top 刀, so it looks like a simple shell shape. 贞 has a top part that looks like 卜 (a vertical with a dot), not the knife shape of 负. In meaning, 负 is about carrying or negative, 贞 is about loyalty or purity, and 贝 is just the shell or money radical.

负 appears in common words like 负责 (to be responsible) and 负担 (burden), and in expressions like 胜负 (victory or defeat). Culturally, 负 often carries a sense of obligation or loss; for example, in Chinese idioms, being 负心 (heartless) is seen as a serious moral failure, while 负责 is valued as a key trait in society.

Common words containing 负 include: 负责 (fù zé) — to be responsible; to be in charge; 负担 (fù dān) — burden; load; 胜负 (shèng fù) — Victory or defeat; outcome.