What does 辜负 mean in Chinese?

辜负 (gū fù) means "to fail to live up (to expectations); unworthy (of trust); to let down; to betray (hopes); to disappoint" in Chinese. The new HSK exam tests it at HSK 7-9.

How do you pronounce 辜负?

辜负 is pronounced "gū fù" in Mandarin Chinese. It is made up of 2 syllables.

What HSK level is 辜负?

辜负 is an HSK 7-9 word on the new HSK exam syllabus. It is HSK 6 on the old exam, HSK 7-9 on the new one.

What characters make up 辜负?

辜负 is made up of the characters 辜, 负. Each character has its own meaning and can appear in other words.

How do you write 辜负?

You can practice writing 辜负 using our stroke order tool.

辜负 (gū fù), to fail to live up (to expectations)

辜负

gū fù

to fail to live up (to expectations); unworthy (of trust); to let down; to betray (hopes)

HSK 7-9 Was HSK 6verb

Traditional: 辜負

Characters in This Word

辜负

Definitions

(verb) to fail to live up (to expectations)
unworthy (of trust)
to let down
to betray (hopes)
to disappoint

Example Sentences

我不能辜负父母的期望重托。

Wǒ bù néng gūfù fùmǔ duì wǒ de qīwàng, yídìng yào nǔlì xuéxí

I cannot let down my parents' expectations and must study hard

Related Words

倒(dào)· to place upside down

→

不争气(bù zhēng qì)· to be disappointing

→

打嘴(dǎ zuǐ)· to slap sb's face

→

脱空(tuō kōng)· to fail

→

HSK levels

New HSK exam: HSK 7-9
HSK 2.0: HSK 6
HSK Lord study list: HSK 8 list

辜负: HSK 6 on the old exam, HSK 7-9 on the new one. See where your old level lands

New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting is announced for 13 December 2026. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.

On the new HSK 7-9 exam

Studying for HSK 7-9? Keep 辜负 with the rest of your level.

HSK Lord schedules your reviews so each word comes back right before you would forget it. Free to start, and it picks up where you are.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.