辜负 gūfù to fail to live up (to expectations)
to fail to live up (to expectations); unworthy (of trust); to let down; to betray (hopes); to disappoint
How to remember 辜负: 辜 crime + 负 shoulder = to fail to live up (to expectations).
Characters
How it is used
- To let down / fail to live up to someone's trust, hopes, or kindness - 我不会辜负大家的期望 (wǒ búhuì gūfù dàjiā de qīwàng) I won't let down everyone's expectations.
- Object is others' faith, love, or effort invested in you (辜负了父母的一片苦心 failed to repay parents' painstaking care).
- Almost always in the negative promise 不辜负; it's about betraying trust placed in you, not simply disappointing an outcome.
Example sentences
- 她没有辜负我们的期望。 Tā méiyǒu gūfù wǒmen de qīwàng.She lived up to our expectations.