抱负
bàofù · HSK 7
aspiration
⭐🏔️ hold + carry — what you embrace and bear forward is your ambition
抱 means to embrace or hold, 负 means to bear or carry on your back. Together they name the drive you clutch to your chest and shoulder through life.
抱 — hand radical 扌 + wrap 包
A semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 gives the meaning, indicating an action done with the hands, while 包 ('wrap, bundle') supplies the sound 'bāo/bào' and hints at enclosing. Together they depict wrapping something in the arms — to hold, embrace, or carry.
负 — person 𠂉 (人) on top + cowrie shell 贝
Originally depicted a person carrying cowrie shells (money), showing someone bearing a load or owing wealth. From this came the meanings 'to carry on the back,' 'to bear a burden,' and by extension 'to owe' or 'negative.' The simplified form 负 keeps 贝 (shell/money) under a person.