負ける

• Reading: まける
• Romaji: makeru
• Kanji breakdown: 負 (fu/ma) — lose, bear, negative
• Pronunciation: /ma.ke.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To lose; to be defeated. To come out on the losing side of a competition or contest.

A Group 2 (ichidan) verb. The intransitive counterpart of situations involving competition. The opposite of 勝つ (to win). Used for games, sports, arguments, and figuratively for giving in to temptation or pressure. Can also mean to give a discount (colloquial).

Examples

1. 昨日の試合で私たちのチームが負けました。 Our team lost yesterday's game.
2. 絶対に負けたくないので、毎日練習しています。 I absolutely don't want to lose, so I practice every day.
3. 暑さに負けないように水をたくさん飲んでください。 Please drink plenty of water so you don't lose to the heat.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, games, competition

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 負 depicts a person (人) carrying a shell/cowrie (貝) on their back — bearing a burden, which came to represent bearing defeat or loss.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal