負けます（まけます、makeまsu）
- to lose

The Japanese word 負けます負けます (makemasu) means "to lose" or "to be defeated." It is the polite, present/future tense form of the verb 負ける (makeru). This verb describes the outcome of a competition, a game, a battle, or any situation where one side is unsuccessful. It can also be used in a broader sense to mean to be overcome by something, such as a feeling.

⚫︎試合に負けました。 Translation: I lost the game. ⚫︎相手に負けたくない。 Translation: I don't want to lose to my opponent. ⚫︎恐怖に負けそうになった。 Translation: I almost lost to fear.

⚫︎ Use 負けます負けます when speaking politely, such as when addressing someone you don't know well, someone older than you, or in formal situations. ⚫︎ Use the plain form, 負ける (makeru), in more casual conversations with friends or family. ⚫︎ 負けます負けます is typically used to describe the result of a competition or struggle. It's important to note who is losing or what is being lost. The context of the sentence clarifies the subject.

⚫︎ The word is typically written in kanji as 負けます負けます. ⚫︎ The hiragana version is まけます. ⚫︎ The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is always ます (masu) in the polite form. ⚫︎ The stem of the verb is 負け (make).

⚫︎ 敗れる (yabureru) - To be defeated, to be beaten (more formal than 負ける) ⚫︎ 敗北する (haiboku suru) - To be defeated, to suffer defeat (formal) ⚫︎ 失う (ushinau) - To lose (something intangible, like a chance or opportunity, or something tangible)

⚫︎ 勝ちます (kachimasu) - To win (polite form) ⚫︎ 勝つ (katsu) - To win (plain form) ⚫︎ 勝利する (shouri suru) - To win, to triumph (formal)

今日の試合は、相手チームに負けました。 ・Translation: Today's match, we lost to the opposing team. ・Explanation: This sentence clearly states that the speaker's team was defeated in a match.

病気に負けずに頑張ってください。 ・Translation: Please do your best and don't give in to the illness. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 負けます負け to mean to be overcome by an illness or hardship. It's encouraging the person not to be defeated by it.

The verb 負ける (makeru) is derived from the adjective 負う (ou) which means "to bear; to carry on the back." The connection is that when you lose, you metaphorically bear the burden of defeat or responsibility for the loss.