負け
まけ
make
= defeat; loss; losing (a game or contest)
Make (負け) is the noun for ‘defeat’ or ‘loss’ in Japanese, and it shows up everywhere from children’s card games to professional sports commentary — but its most revealing appearances may be in the compound words that show how deeply Japanese culture has thought about losing, stubborn resilience, and the character revealed by how someone handles defeat.
Make (負け) is a noun derived from the verb makeru (負ける, to lose / to be defeated). It refers specifically to a loss in a game, competition, match, or contest. Its opposite is kachi (勝ち, win / victory), derived from katsu (勝つ, to win). Together, kachi-make (勝ち負け) forms a compound meaning ‘wins and losses’ or ‘the outcome of a match’ — used when discussing overall records or the competitive aspect of something. In casual speech, make is also used informally for everyday non-competitive situations: make wo mitomeru (to acknowledge defeat) can mean conceding an argument rather than a formal match. The verb form makeru additionally means ‘to lower a price’ or ‘to give a discount’ in shopping contexts — a completely different meaning that can confuse learners.
The two meanings of makeru are a classic false friend within Japanese itself. In a sports or game context, makeru means to lose; in a market or shop, makeru means to reduce the price or give a discount. The context is almost always clear, but learners sometimes panic when a vendor uses makete kuremasu ka? (Could you lower the price?) and hear ‘defeat’ instead of ‘discount.’ The compound makezu-girai (負けず嫌い, disliking to lose / competitive by nature / sore loser) is worth learning early — it is a very common personality descriptor in Japanese that has no single-word English equivalent.
負 combines 刀 (knife/sword radical, appearing as 刀 or 刂) on top — actually in this character it is read as the ‘horn’ or ‘bent shape’ component — over 貝 (shell / money). The traditional interpretation links it to carrying a load or debt on one’s back: 負 in classical Chinese meant ‘to bear a burden’ or ‘to owe,’ and from ‘owing’ or ‘being burdened’ came the meaning of ‘losing’ (being in a position of owing the victory to the other side). 負 also means ‘negative’ in mathematical contexts (fu no kazu, negative number) — the same root logic of deficit and owing.
Casual / Social Media
今日の試合は負けだったけど、次は頑張る。
Kyou no shiai wa make datta kedo, tsugi wa ganbaru.
Today’s match was a loss, but I’ll do my best next time. (posting after a sports defeat on social media)
Everyday use
彼女は負けず嫌いで、いつも諦めない。
Kanojo wa makezu-girai de, itsu mo akiramenai.
She hates losing and never gives up. (describing a determined friend or athlete)
Formal / Cultural context
もうちょっとまけてもらえませんか？
Mou chotto makete moraemasen ka?
Could you lower the price just a little? (bargaining politely at a market or small shop)
The concept of make is inseparable from the cultural ideal of makezu-girai — a stubborn refusal to accept defeat that runs through Japanese sports culture, school life, and even professional settings. In school club activities (bukatsu), students often train with an intensity shaped by the knowledge that tournaments have single-elimination brackets: one make and the season is over. This makes loss in Japanese youth sports a charged, sometimes formative event rather than a routine part of a season.
In competitive gaming communities in Japan — both traditional board games like shogi (将棋) and modern esports — make has developed its own verbal culture. Professional shogi players signal defeat by placing their king piece on its side and saying makemashita (I have lost) — a formal acknowledgment that ends the game instantly. This ritual of explicitly stating one’s defeat, rather than letting the outcome be declared by an outside judge, reflects a value placed on owning one’s loss with dignity.