gūfù: 辜负 - To Let Down, Fail to Live Up To, Betray Trust

• Keywords: gufu, 辜负, let down in Chinese, disappoint Chinese, betray trust Chinese, fail expectations Chinese, Chinese word for letting someone down, what does gufu mean, gufu vs shiwang.
• Summary: Learn the powerful Chinese verb 辜负 (gūfù), which means to let someone down or fail to live up to their trust and expectations. More profound than simply “disappoint,” `辜负` carries a heavy weight of moral responsibility and is crucial for understanding relationships, duty, and culture in China. This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural significance, and provides practical examples to help you use it correctly and avoid common mistakes.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): gūfù
• Part of Speech: Verb
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: To fail to live up to someone's trust, hopes, or expectations.
• In a Nutshell: `辜负` is not just about making someone sad; it's about failing a responsibility or betraying the faith someone has placed in you. It carries a heavy sense of moral failure. Imagine a mentor's belief in their student, a parent's hopes for their child, or a nation's trust in its leader. To `辜负` that faith is a serious act of letting someone down. The word is tied to the burden of expectation and the guilt of not meeting it.

• 辜 (gū): This character's original meaning is related to crime, fault, or guilt. Think of it as the “fault” or “guilt” component of the word.
• 负 (fù): This character means to carry a burden, to bear a responsibility, or to turn one's back on something. It's the “responsibility” or “burden” component.

When combined, 辜负 (gūfù) literally means “to bear the guilt of failing a responsibility.” It creates a vivid image of being entrusted with something precious (like hope or trust) and failing to carry that burden, thus becoming guilty of letting the other person down.

`辜负` is a word deeply embedded in the Chinese cultural fabric, which places a high value on interpersonal relationships, duty, and social harmony.

• Obligation and Responsibility: In Chinese culture, there's a strong emphasis on fulfilling one's obligations to family, teachers, and one's social group. A child has a duty to honor their parents, and a student has a duty to respect their teacher's efforts. To `辜负` these individuals is not just a personal failing but a breach of a deeply ingrained social contract.
• Comparison to “Disappoint”: In English, you can be “disappointed” that a movie was bad or that it rained on your picnic. It's a relatively light word. `辜负` is much heavier. You would never use `辜负` for a trivial matter. It implies a significant relationship and a serious expectation. For example, if your friend promises to help you move but forgets, you might feel `失望 (shīwàng - disappointed)`. But if you spent your life savings to put your brother through medical school and he drops out to become a street performer, you would feel he has `辜负`ed you and your family's sacrifice. `辜负` is about the failure of a significant moral or emotional duty.

`辜负` is a formal and emotionally charged word. It's used in serious contexts where trust and high expectations are involved.

• In Family and Relationships: This is a very common context. Parents often use it to express their hopes for their children. Romantic partners might use it to talk about loyalty and trust.
  • “儿子，你一定要好好学习，不要辜负我们对你的期望。” (Son, you must study hard, don't fail to live up to our expectations for you.)
• In Professional and Academic Settings: A boss might use it when delegating a critical task, or a teacher might use it to motivate a promising student.
  • “这次的项目很重要，希望你不要辜负公司的信任。” (This project is very important; I hope you won't let down the company's trust.)
• With Abstract Concepts: `辜负` is often paired with abstract nouns, giving it a poetic and profound quality. This is very common in writing and formal speeches.
  • 不辜负好时光 (bù gūfù hǎo shíguāng) - To not waste the good times; to make the most of life.
  • 不辜负青春 (bù gūfù qīngchūn) - To not waste one's youth.

• Example 1:
  • 我努力工作，就是为了不辜负父母的期望。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ nǔlì gōngzuò, jiùshì wèile bù gūfù fùmǔ de qīwàng.
  • English: I work hard precisely so I don't let down my parents' expectations.
  • Analysis: This is a classic example showing the connection between effort and the duty to fulfill parental hopes, a core concept in Chinese culture.
• Example 2:
  • 他最终还是辜负了女朋友对他的信任。
  • Pinyin: Tā zuìzhōng háishì gūfùle nǚpéngyou duì tā de xìnrèn.
  • English: In the end, he failed to live up to his girlfriend's trust in him.
  • Analysis: This implies a serious breach of trust, like cheating or breaking a major promise. It's much stronger than saying he simply “disappointed” her.
• Example 3:
  • 我绝不会辜负您对我的栽培。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ jué bù huì gūfù nín duì wǒ de zāipéi.
  • English: I will absolutely not fail the nurturing/mentorship you have given me.
  • Analysis: `栽培 (zāipéi)` means to cultivate or nurture, often used for a senior's mentorship of a junior. This sentence shows deep respect and a promise to honor that investment of time and energy.
• Example 4:
  • 球队辜负了球迷们的支持，输掉了关键比赛。
  • Pinyin: Qiúduì gūfùle qiúmímen de zhīchí, shū diàole guānjiàn bǐsài.
  • English: The team let down the fans' support and lost the crucial game.
  • Analysis: This shows how `辜负` can be used for a group (the team) letting down another group (the fans). The expectation of winning was a form of trust.
• Example 5:
  • 享受美食，才不算辜负生活。
  • Pinyin: Xiǎngshòu měishí, cái bù suàn gūfù shēnghuó.
  • English: Enjoying good food is the only way to not let life down (i.e., to live life to the fullest).
  • Analysis: This is a more modern, slightly poetic, and less intense usage. It frames enjoying simple pleasures as a way of honoring the gift of life.
• Example 6:
  • 你这样浪费时间，就是在辜负你的青春。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ zhèyàng làngfèi shíjiān, jiùshì zài gūfù nǐ de qīngchūn.
  • English: Wasting time like this is failing to live up to your youth.
  • Analysis: Here, the object being “let down” is an abstract concept: `青春 (qīngchūn - youth)`. It implies that youth is a precious resource with inherent potential that one has a duty to fulfill.
• Example 7:
  • 收到这么好的礼物，我感觉不把它用好就辜负了朋友的心意。
  • Pinyin: Shōudào zhème hǎo de lǐwù, wǒ gǎnjué bù bǎ tā yòng hǎo jiù gūfùle péngyou de xīnyì.
  • English: Having received such a great gift, I feel that if I don't make good use of it, I'll be letting down my friend's kind intentions.
  • Analysis: The object being let down is `心意 (xīnyì)`, the thought/intention behind the gift. This highlights that the failure is not about the object, but about the emotional investment from the giver.
• Example 8:
  • 我们承诺，绝不辜负每一位客户的信赖。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen chéngnuò, jué bù gūfù měi yī wèi kèhù de xìnlài.
  • English: We promise to never betray the trust of any of our customers.
  • Analysis: A common phrase in corporate mission statements or customer service pledges. It's a formal and strong way to declare commitment and reliability.
• Example 9:
  • 我感觉自己辜负了过去的自己。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ gǎnjué zìjǐ gūfùle guòqù de zìjǐ.
  • English: I feel that I have let down my past self.
  • Analysis: A powerful, introspective use of the word. It implies that your past self had hopes and dreams for the future that your present self has failed to achieve.
• Example 10:
  • 这片美丽的风景，怎么拍都感觉会辜负它的美。
  • Pinyin: Zhè piàn měilì de fēngjǐng, zěnme pāi dōu gǎnjué huì gūfù tā de měi.
  • English: This scenery is so beautiful, no matter how you photograph it, you feel you'll fail to do its beauty justice.
  • Analysis: A highly figurative and creative usage. It personifies the beauty of the scenery, suggesting that the photographer has a “duty” to capture it perfectly and will inevitably “fail” to do so.

• `辜负 (gūfù)` vs. `失望 (shīwàng)`: This is the most critical distinction for learners.
  • `失望 (shīwàng)` means “to be disappointed” or “to lose hope.” It describes the feeling of the person who was let down. It's a state of being. (e.g., 我对你很失望 - I am very disappointed in you.)
  • `辜负 (gūfù)` is the action of failing someone. It focuses on the person who did the letting down. (e.g., 我辜负了你 - I let you down.)
  • You cannot say “我辜负” (I am gufu). You must have an object: you `辜负` *someone* or *something*.
• Mistake: Using `辜负` for trivial things.
  • Incorrect: 你迟到了，真辜负我。 (Nǐ chídào le, zhēn gūfù wǒ.)
  • Why it's wrong: This is far too dramatic for being late. It implies you broke a sacred pact of punctuality.
  • Correct: 你迟到了，真让我失望。 (Nǐ chídào le, zhēn ràng wǒ shīwàng.) - Your being late really made me disappointed.
• False Friend: “Betray”
  • While `辜负` can sometimes be translated as “betray,” the Chinese word 背叛 (bèipàn) is a much closer match for the English “betray,” as it implies malice, treachery, and deliberate intent to harm (e.g., betraying your country, cheating on a spouse). `辜负` can be unintentional; you can let someone down through incompetence or lack of effort, not necessarily through malice.

• 失望 (shīwàng) - To be disappointed. The feeling experienced by the person who has been `辜负`ed.
• 期望 (qīwàng) - Expectation; hope. This is often the object that is being `辜负`ed.
• 信任 (xìnrèn) - Trust. Another common object of `辜负`. To `辜负信任` is to betray someone's trust.
• 背叛 (bèipàn) - To betray. A much stronger word that implies intentional harm and treachery.
• 不负 (búfù) - “To not let down,” “to live up to.” The direct positive antonym, often used in inspirational phrases like `不负众望` (bú fù zhòngwàng - to live up to everyone's expectations).
• 责任 (zérèn) - Responsibility; duty. The sense of `责任` is the reason why `辜负` feels so heavy.
• 亏欠 (kuīqiàn) - To owe an emotional or moral debt; to feel you haven't done enough for someone. This is a feeling you might have after you `辜负` someone.
• 遗憾 (yíhàn) - Regret; pity. The feeling of sadness about something that has happened or failed to happen. You would feel `遗憾` about having `辜负`ed someone.