Taxonomy of meanings for 負:　　

  • 負 fù (OC: bɯʔ MC: biu) 房久切 上 廣韻：【擔也荷也又受貸不償曰負背恩忘德曰負也 】
    • CARRY
      • vt(+N.)adV(to V) with N on one's shoulders, carrying N on one's shoulders go ahead and V
      • vt[oN]carry things on one's shoulders
      • vtoNcarry on one's back; transferred: take upon oneself (official duties etc)
      • vtoNfigurativesupport the weight of; have on one's back; carry along (not necessarily on one's own back) 驢負 "carry on donkey-back"
      • vtoNpassivebe carried
      • vttoN1.+N2causativecause (N1) to carry (N2) on his shoulders
      • vtoNinchoativetake on one's back (to carry off)CH
    • figurative> SUFFER
      • vtoNsuffer from (a medical or other unfortunate condition)
      • financially> OWE
        • vtt(oN1.)+N2owe something to N2
        • vttoN1.+N2owe N2 to N1
        • vttoN1(.+N2)owe the contextually determinate N2 to N1
        • result> RELY ON
          • vtoNrely on; depend on
        • what one owes> PAY
          • vtoNpay
      • failure> FAIL
        • nabeventdefeat
        • v[adN]nonreferentialperson who fails; loser
        • vieventlose
        • causative, figurative: excel> DEFEAT
          • nabresultdefeat
          • v[adN]nonreferentialloser
          • viacthave been defeated, have lost
          • vipassiveto suffer defeat, be defeated
          • vtoNfigurativedefeat > be better than, be superior to, be preferable to
          • general> OFFEND
            • vtoNbe unjust to, offend; betray
            • vtoN負言"go back on one's promise": fail to live up toCH
            • vtoNpassivebe offendedCH
            • against authorities> REVOLT
              • vtoNrevolt against 負畔
        • metaphorical?> BEHIND
          • vtoN.adVwith one's back against NLZ
          • mathematical technical term> NEGATIVE
            • vadNmathematical termCHEMLA 2003: negative
  • fùCRITICISE
    • vtoNpassivebe criticisedCH

Additional information about 負

說文解字: 【負】，恃也。从人守貝，有所恃也。一曰：受貸不償。 〔小徐本無「一曰」云云。〕 【房九切】

    Criteria
  • CARRY

    1. The commonest words refer to carrying things on one's back is fù 負, and the word is also common in figurative senses.

    2. Dān 擔 refer to carrying things on a shoulder pole, but the word is still fairly rare in pre-Buddhist texts.

    3. Hè 荷 is to carry over one's shoulder, sometimes on a pole.

    4. Rén 任 refers to bearing something in one's arms.

    5. Huái 懷 and bào 抱 can refer to carrying things in one's arms so as to protect them. See also EMBRACE

    6. Dài 帶 is specifically to carry things along on one's belt, but the word is used more generally for "take along" also in ancient texts.

    7. Pèi 佩 is to wear or carry very small objects on the waist. See WEAR

    8. Qiè 挈 is to carry fairly small objects with one arm.

    9. Gāng 扛 refers to lifting and possibly also carrying along heavy objects, typically as a feat. See primarily LIFT

    NP: Káng 扛 "carry on one's shoulders" is a late colloquialism.

  • DEFEAT

    1. The current general word for defeating someoneor some state in any form of battle is bài 敗.

    2. Pò 破 (ant. quán 全 "leave intact") refers to a complete routing of an opponent.

    3. Jìn 盡 refers to the complete annihilation of an opponent.

    4. Fù 覆 refers to the inflicting of a major defeat with lasting effects on an army.

    5. Qīng 傾 refers to the toppling of a system of government.

    6. Wáng 亡 (ant. cún 存 "allow to survive") refers specifically to causing the discontinuation of a state.

    7. Cuò 挫 refers specifically to inflicting a military defeat on an army.

    8. Bài jī 敗績 refers to a major military defeat.

    9. Fù 負 occasionally refers to a defeat suffered, but usually in the combination shèng fù 勝負, and as a verb it does not take objects or complements. See FAIL

  • FAIL

    1. The current general word for failure is shī 失 (ant. dé 得 "get somewhere").

    2. Qióng 窮 (ant. dá 達 "successful") refers to getting into an impasse, a situation from which there is no way out, or being hopelessly unsuccessful with what one is trying to do.

    3. Bài 敗 (ant. chéng 成 "achieve one's purpose") construes failure as a defeat in some personal or social undertaking or campaign.

    4. Bēng 崩 construes a failure as a momentous disaster.

    5. Fù 負 refers specifically to a defeat versus a victory.

  • WIN

    1. The current general word for winning or gaining the upper hand in any way, including warfare, is shèng 勝 (ant. bài 敗 "be defeated").

    2. Kè 克 (ant. shī 失 "lose in battle") refers to subduing an enemy force by military means, winning against an enemy so as to control him as a result.

    3. Qǔ 取 (ant. fù 負 "fail") refers to conquering a place so as to gain full control over it, and the word usually refers to a victory won easily.

    4. Bá 拔 and jǔ 舉 refers to conquering a place without necessarily keeping full control over it.

    5. Jié 劫 refers specifically to victory gained through ruse or indirect tactics.

  • PAY

    1. Probably the commonest word for payment of what is due is cháng 償 (ant. qiàn 欠 "continue to owe money").

    2. Yǔ 與 (ant. qǔ 取 "take") sometimes refers to payment (e.g. of interest).

    3. Chū 出 (ant. rù 入 "have as income") refers to the use of necessary resources in money in order to obtain something.

    4. Nà 內 "pay in" and the rarer rù 入 (ant. shōu 收 "receive money") are technical economic terms to paying something one owes something.

    5. Fù 負 occasionally comes to mean "pay out".

    6. Jué 決 refers specifically of paying taxes or fees that are due.

    Word relations
  • Ant: (DEFEAT)勝/WIN The current general word for winning or gaining the upper hand in any way, including warfare, is shèng 勝 (ant. bài 敗 "be defeated").
  • Object: (CARRY)薪/FIREWOOD The current general word for firewood is xīn 薪 and specifically the word refers to thick branches that can perhaps be used for making logs.
  • Object: (CARRY)儋/BURDEN
  • Contrast: (OFFEND)慚慙 / 慚慙/SHAME Cán 慚 "feel embarrassed and ill at ease about something" is often close to a feeling of 不好意思. It refers to a somewhat milder form of personal feelings of shame typically mixed with feelings of regret, and typically directed towards something in the past.
  • Contrast: (CARRY)戴/CARRY
  • Assoc: (CARRY)任/CARRY Rén 任 refers to bearing something in one's arms.
  • Assoc: (REVOLT)畔 / 叛/REVOLT
  • Assoc: (CARRY)荷/CARRY Hè 荷 is to carry over one's shoulder, sometimes on a pole.
  • Assoc: (CARRY)荷/CARRY Hè 荷 is to carry over one's shoulder, sometimes on a pole.
  • Assoc: (CARRY)戴/CARRY