Chinese word

包袱

Pronunciation

Pinyinbāo fú

Meaning

  • nounburden

Example

她的秘密成了她心里的包袱。tā de mì mì chéng le tā xīn lǐ de bāo fú

Her secret became a burden in her heart.

Illustration for 包袱 (burden)

More examples

老农把收成包成一个包袱，挑回了家。lǎo nóng bǎ shōu chéng bāo chéng yí gè bāo fú tiāo huí le jiā

An old farmer wrapped the harvest into a bundle and carried it home on a shoulder pole.

Core concept

A bundle tied up for carrying becomes a weight that is hard to set down, physically or emotionally.

Common phrases

  • 心理包袱xīn lǐ bāo fú

    psychological burden

  • 丢掉包袱diū diào bāo fú

    cast off a burden

  • 包袱落地bāo fú luò dì

    the burden is lifted

Similar words

负担fù dān: A weight or responsibility that makes daily life or work harder to manage.
心事xīn shì: A private worry or concern that stays on the mind and causes unease.

Definition in Chinese

指用布包裹的行李或物品，引申指因责任、秘密、压力等而产生的沉重负担。zhǐ yòng bù bāo guǒ de xíng lǐ huò wù pǐn yǐn shēn zhǐ yīn zé rèn mì mì yā lì děng ér chǎn shēng de chén zhòng fù dān

Word origin

包袱 (bāofú, "cloth-wrapped bundle") first names an item wrapped in cloth, and the word extends metaphorically to a load of responsibility or feeling.

Usage tips

  • For everyday listening, the word often describes an invisible personal weight rather than luggage, especially when a secret or duty remains unresolved.

Other meanings

  • bundlenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word