Sections
負けるMakeru: what it means in anime
まける · makeru
to lose; to be defeated; to be beaten
Makeru means "to lose" or "to be beaten". 負けない is "I won't lose", the line every shounen hero says before the final round.
Updated November 2, 2026
Where you hear it
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…で お前らが負けた時だけど—And if you lose the match, as long as we third-years are here,
Haikyu!!Episode 2 · 17 lines in episodes 1–3 -
３分の１の確率で負ける可能性が 生まれるんですのよIf I play rock, there's a one in three chance I'll lose!
No Game No LifeEpisode 2 · 14 lines in episodes 1–3
From the Japanese subtitles · how we count
Usage and nuance
Haikyu: お前らが負けた時, "when you lose". No Game No Life spells out the odds: 3分の1の確率で負ける, "a one in three chance of losing". Like 勝つ, it takes に for the winner: 兄に負けた is "I lost to my brother".
負けず嫌い (makezugirai) describes someone who hates losing, and it is one of the most common character traits in sports and rivalry anime.
In shops まける means "to give a discount", which is where おまけ (a free extra) comes from. 負けた can also mean "I give up" in an argument.
Hear 負ける in Haikyu!!17 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account