肩负
jiān fù · HSK 7
to bear
🎒 肩 (shoulder) + 负 (carry/bear) = to shoulder a burden
肩 is the shoulder; 负 means to carry or bear a load. Together they mean taking responsibility or weight onto your shoulders — literally and figuratively.
肩 — 户 (door) on top + 月 (flesh/meat) below
肩 means 'shoulder.' The bottom 月 is the flesh radical, marking it as a body part. The top originally depicted the rounded shape of a shoulder joint, later standardized as 户. Together they show a fleshy, hinged body part — the shoulder.
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.