Emaki · all 1,500 words

背負う

せおう

to carry on one's back, to shoulder

Mnemonic

The back takes the load and the load stays there for the whole of the walk. A child, round the town. Say せ, oh おう, that is heavy: せおう.

Worth knowing

負う おう on its own is bearing a responsibility and 肩 かた is the shoulder itself. 背負う is putting a load on your back.

Built from

back, stature
北 two figures drawn back to back, over 月 the flesh sense. The side of you that faces away.
lose, bear
貝 a shell, money, with a figure bent over it. Carrying what you owe.

Words sharing these kanji

back height, stature to lose match, contest

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Emaki is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Kaishi 1.5k or its authors. The word, reading and meaning come from the Kaishi 1.5k deck, used with their permission. The mnemonic, the note and the kanji breakdown are original work, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.