负担
fùdān · HSK 4
burden
🎒 负 (carry on back) + 担 (shoulder-pole load) = burden
负 means to bear/carry on one's back; 担 is a shoulder-pole used to carry loads. Together they form the literal sense of a heavy load, extended to any burden or responsibility one shoulders.
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.
担 — hand radical 扌 + 詹 (zhān, phonetic)
担 is a semantic-phonetic compound: 扌 (hand) gives the meaning of carrying or shouldering, while 詹 supplies the sound. Originally written 擔, it depicted bearing a load on a shoulder pole; 担 is the simplified form. Meanings extended from physical carrying to bearing responsibility.