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負

負 — defeat, negative, -

Learn the correct stroke order for 負 (defeat), a 9-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 39 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 9
On'yomi (音読み)フfu
Kun'yomi (訓読み)ま.けるmakeru、ま.かすmakasu、お.うou
Strokes9
Radical貝
Frequency#443
Meaningsdefeat, negative, -, minus, bear, owe, assume a responsibility

Step-by-Step Diagram

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Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 9 — start from the green dot

Common Words

自負じふpride; self-confidence; thinking highly of oneselfnoun
勝負しょうぶvictory or defeatnoun
負うおうto carry on one's back; to bear; to shoulderverb
負けまけdefeat; loss; losing (a game)noun
負荷ふかburdening; bearing; shoulderingnoun
負債ふさいdebt; liabilitiesnoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 負 (defeat) is taught in grade 3 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 9 strokes with radical 貝.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 負 is #443, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

自負じふ — pride; self-confidence; thinking highly of oneself
勝負しょうぶ — victory or defeat
負うおう — to carry on one's back; to bear; to shoulder

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (貝)

貝shellfish貞upright財property貢tribute責blame販marketing貨freight貫pierce

Same reading

付adhere夫husband富wealth婦lady浮floating怖dreadful

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 負 have?

The kanji 負 (defeat) has 9 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 負?

負 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 負 mean?

負 means: defeat, negative, -, minus, bear, owe, assume a responsibility. On'yomi readings: フ. Kun'yomi readings: ま.ける, ま.かす, お.う.

What JLPT level is 負?

負 is a JLPT N3 kanji. This is an intermediate kanji.