JLPT N2 · Verb

背負う (seou)

背負う (せおう, seou) is a Japanese verb meaning “to carry on one's back”. It appears in JLPT N2 vocabulary lists and is marked as a common word in JMdict.

Reading: せおう
Romaji: seou
Word class: Godan verb (う-verb) ending in う
Level: JLPT N2 (unofficial)

Meaning

to carry on one's back · godan verb, transitive
to be burdened with; to take responsibility for · godan verb, transitive
to have (something) in the background; to be in front (of something) · godan verb, transitive

Example sentences

彼女は背中にリュックサックを背おっている。

She is carrying a backpack on her back.

Tatoeba #87557

Sentences from the Tatoeba project, linked to this word in JMdict.

Conjugation of 背負う

Godan verb (う-verb) ending in う. Plain and polite forms below; try any other word in the Japanese verb conjugator.

Form	Japanese	Reading
Dictionary	背負う	せおう seou
Polite (~masu)	背負います	せおいます seoimasu
Negative	背負わない	せおわない seowanai
Polite negative	背負いません	せおいません seoimasen
Past	背負った	せおった seotta
Polite past	背負いました	せおいました seoimashita
Negative past	背負わなかった	せおわなかった seowanakatta
Te-form	背負って	せおって seotte
Potential	背負える	せおえる seoeru
Passive	背負われる	せおわれる seowareru
Causative	背負わせる	せおわせる seowaseru
Volitional	背負おう	せおおう seoou
Imperative	背負え	せおえ seoe
Conditional (~ba)	背負えば	せおえば seoeba

Kanji in 背負う

背

stature, height, backハイ・せ・せい · 9 strokes

負

defeat, negative, -フ・ま.ける・ま.かす · 9 strokes

Related words

Other vocabulary sharing a kanji with 背負う.

背せいheight背広せびろbusiness suit背中せなかback (of the body)背景はいけいbackground背後はいごback背くそむくto run counter to負けるまけるto lose負うおうto carry on one's back負けまけdefeat勝負しょうぶvictory or defeat負債ふさいdebt負傷ふしょうinjury負担ふたんburden負かすまかすto defeat

Source: JMdict entry 1472860 (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0). Level: unofficial JLPT list – how levels are assigned.