背 bēi
verb
: to be burdened
: to carry on the back or shoulder
背 bèi
noun | verb
: back; the back of a body or object
: to turn one’s back; to betray
: to hide something from
: to learn by heart; to recite from memory
: unlucky (slang)
: hard of hearing
揹 [背] bēi
: (variant) carry on one’s back
Kun Reading
背 | せ se
noun
: back; spine
: reverse; rear side
: height
: ridge (of a mountain)
背 | せい sei
noun
: height; stature
背 | そむく somuku
godan verb with ku ending | intransitive verb
: to run counter to; to go against; to disobey; to infringe
背ける | そむける somukeru
ichidan verb | transitive verb
: to turn one’s face away; to avert one’s eyes
背なか | せなか senaka
noun
: back (of body)
背のび | せのび senobi
noun | suru verb
: standing on tiptoe and stretching one’s back to make oneself taller; stretching oneself
: overreaching oneself; overstretching oneself; trying to do something beyond one’s ability; pushing to the limit
背びれ | せびれ sebire
noun
: dorsal fin
背ぼね | せぼね sebone
noun | no-adjective
: spine; backbone; spinal column
On Reading
ハイ hai
背 bei1: to be burdened
背包 bei1bao1: knapsack; rucksack; infantry pack; field pack; blanket roll
背帶[带] bei1dai4: braces; suspenders; sling (for a rifle); straps (for a knapsack)
背榜 bei1bang3: to score last in an examination
背負[负] bei1fu4: to bear; to carry on one’s back; to shoulder
[せおう seou OR しょう shou
: to be burdened with; to take responsibility for; to carry on back or shoulder]
: to have (something) in the background; to be in front (of something)
見[见]背 jian4bei1: to pass away (lit., of the older generation); to be orphaned
背黑鍋[锅] bei1 hei1 guo1: to be made a scapegoat; to be unjustly blamed
背 bei4: back
背叛 bei4pan4: to betray
背叛者 bei4 pan4 zhe3: traitor
背對背 [背对背] bei4 dui4 bei4: back to back
背後[后] bei4hou4: behind; at the back; in the rear; behind somebody’s back
[背後 | はいご haigo: back; rear
: background; behind the scenes]
背景 bei4jing3: background; backdrop; context
[はいけい haikei: background; scenery; backdrop; setting; circumstance; context
: backing; support (from behind the scenes)]
背心 bei4xin1: sleeveless garment (vest, waistcoat, singlet, tank top etc)
背誦[诵] bei4song4: to recite; to repeat from memory
背面 bei4mian4: the back; the reverse side; the wrong side
[はいめん haimen: rear; back; reverse]
違[违]背 wei2bei4: to violate; to be contrary to
[違背 | いはい ihai: violation; transgression]
刀背 dao1bei4: back of the knife
[みね mine OR とうはい touhai: back of a sword]
向背 xiang4bei4: to support or oppose
[こうはい kouhai: one’s attitude; state of affairs]
墊[垫]背 dian4bei4: funerary mat; fig. to serve as scape-goat; to act as fall guy for somebody else’s misdemeanors
背 bei1: carry on one’s back
揹債[背债] bei1zhai4: to be in debt; to be saddled with debts
Japanese common word | expression | idiom
*背水の陣 | はいすいのじん haisui no jin
: fighting with one’s back to the wall; having burnt one’s bridges; last stand; from strategy of general Han Xin in the Battle of Jingxing
背中を流す | せなかをながす senaka o nagasu
: to rinse one’s back
背筋を伸ばす | せすじをのばす sesuji o nobaru
: to straighten up one’s back (e.g. stand up straight, sit up straight); to hold one’s head high
背中で教える | せなかでおしえる senaka de oshieru
: to teach by example; to teach by showing; lit: to teach with one’s back
背負投げを食う | せおいなげをくう seoi nage o kuu
: to be betrayed unexpectedly; to be stabbed in the back; to be double-crossed
背筋が寒くなる | せすじがさむくなる sesuji o gasamukunaru
: a chill runs down one’s spine
どんぐりの背比べ | どんぐりのせいくらべ donguri no sei kurabe
: having no outstanding characteristics; to all seem about the same; bragging competition (“pissing contest”) concerning matters of little importance; height comparison among acorns
背に腹は代えられない | せにはらはかえられない se ni hara wa kaerarenai
OR
背に腹は変えられない | せにはらはかえられない se ni hara wa kaerarenai
OR
背に腹は替えられない | せにはらはかえられない se ni hara wa kaerarenai
: not able to escape an urgent problem without making some sacrifice
Chinese expression | idiom
*背水一戰 [背水一战] bei4 shui3 yi1 zhan4
: lit. fight with one’s back to the river; fig. to fight to win or die
倒背如流 dao4 bei4 ru2 liu2
: to know by heart (so well that you can recite it backwards)
鰲背負山 [鳌背负山] ao2 bei4 fu4 shan1
: debt as heavy as a mountain on a turtle’s back
離鄉背井 [离乡背井] li2 xiang1 bei4 jing3
: to live far from home; away from one’s native place; to leave for a foreign land
手心手背都是肉 shou3 xin1 shou3 bei4 dou1 shi4 rou4
: lit. both the palm and the back of the hand are made of flesh; fig. to both be of equal importance; to value both equally
背
象形-R Pictophonetic-Reclarified.
⺼ (rou4: meat CJK radical) reclarifies the meaning while
北 (bei3: north) provides both meaning and sound.
Specialized Semantic:
絣 beng1: Ikat, a type of woven silk; Kasuri; to baste for sewing; to connect
[kun: かすり kasuri: splash pattern (e.g. on a kimono); dye pattern; kasuri]
Historical Variant:
肻 ken3
Variant:
揹 bei1: carry on one’s back
揹
形声 Pictophonetic.
扌 (shou3: hand radical 64) suggests the meaning while
背 (bei4: back; betray) provides the sound.
Look-alike:
肯 ken3: willing; consent to, permit
[kun: うなずく unazuku; がえんずる gaenzuru; うべなう ubenau.
on: こう kou]
Examples:
我的背痛到要命。
wo3de bei4 tong4 dao4 yao4ming4.
My back is killing me.
Resources: Chinese Dictionary | Japanese Dictionary
