背

背 U+80CC, 背 ← 胋[U+80CB] CJK Unified Ideographs 胍 →[U+80CD] Stroke order Stroke order

背 (Kangxi radical 130, 肉+5, 9 strokes, Cangjie input 中心月 (LPB), four-corner 11227, composition ⿱北月(GJK) or ⿱北⺼(HT))

• 偝, 揹, 禙, 褙, 䋳, 鄁, 㔨

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 977, character 21
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 29363
• Dae Jaweon: page 1429, character 11
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 3, page 2058, character 4
• Unihan data for U+80CC

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *pɯːɡs, *bɯːɡs): phonetic 北 (OC *pɯːɡ) + semantic 月 (“meat”). Originally written as 北, semantic 肉 was added to be distinguished from the derived meaning of 北 (“north”).

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *bə(q) (“to carry (on back), shoulder”). According to Schuessler (2007), it is the exopassive of 北 (OC *pɯːɡ, “to turn one’s back”) — what is turned back.

Two pronunciations were distinguished in Middle Chinese: puʌiH (“back”), buʌiH (“to turn one’s back to; to betray”).

trad. 背 simp. # 背

背

1. (anatomy) back 捶背 ― chuíbèi ― to give a back massage 馬背／马背 ― mǎbèi ― horseback
   • 一個孩子突然跑過來，幾乎碰著他背上的劍尖，使他嚇出了一身汗。 [MSC, trad.]一个孩子突然跑过来，几乎碰着他背上的剑尖，使他吓出了一身汗。 [MSC, simp.]From: 1927, Lu Xun, 鑄劍Yī ge háizi tūrán pǎo guòlái, jīhū pèng zhe tā bèi shàng de jiàn jiān, shǐ tā xià chū le yī shēn hàn. [Pinyin](please add an English translation of this usage example)
2. back; backside; reverse side 手背 ― shǒubèi ― back of the hand 紙背／纸背 ― zhǐbèi ― back of a piece of paper
3. to leave; to abandon 背井離鄉／背井离乡 ― bèijǐnglíxiāng ― to leave one’s native place and move elsewhere
4. to back onto 背著太陽坐／背着太阳坐 ― bèi zhe tàiyáng zuò ― to sit with one’s back to the sun 背山面海 ― bèi shān miàn hǎi ― backing on to a mountain and facing the sea
5. to betray
   • 隨何往說九江王布，布果背楚。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]随何往说九江王布，布果背楚。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCESuí Hé wǎng shuì Jiǔjiāng wáng Bù, Bù guǒ bèi Chǔ. [Pinyin](please add an English translation of this usage example)
6. to do something behind one’s back; to hide something from someone 男朋友背著我和其他女生聊天。 [MSC, trad.]男朋友背着我和其他女生聊天。 [MSC, simp.]Nánpéngyǒu bèi zhe wǒ hé qítā nǚshēng liáotiān. [Pinyin]My boyfriend chats with other girls behind my back.
7. to deviate; to go contrary to; to violate 背約／背约 ― bèiyuē ― to break one’s promise 背著良心說話／背着良心说话 ― bèi zhe liángxīn shuōhuà ― to speak against one’s conscience
8. to memorize; to recite 這篇文章寫得多棒啊，背下來。 [MSC, trad.]这篇文章写得多棒啊，背下来。 [MSC, simp.]Zhè piān wénzhāng xiěde duō bàng a, bèi xiàlái. [Pinyin]How excellently written is this article! Memorize it. 你背唐詩背了多少首？ [MSC, trad.]你背唐诗背了多少首？ [MSC, simp.]Nǐ bèi Tángshī bèi le duōshǎo shǒu? [Pinyin]How many Tang poems have you memorized?
9. unlucky; out of luck
10. hard of hearing 耳朵有點兒背／耳朵有点儿背 ― ěrduo yǒudiǎnr bèi ― to be a bit hard of hearing
11. remote; out-of-the-way
12. (Cantonese) isolated; out of touch; out of the loop; ignorant of what is happening; uninformed of the latest news; not up to speed
    • 諗極都諗唔通，於是走去問個喺D場做DJ嘅老友，佢竟然話：「乜你咁背㗎！嗰首咪係而家唱到行晒，由DJ Lorry同張茵合唱嘅《上一個不愛回家的人．下一個》囉！」 [Cantonese, trad.]谂极都谂唔通，于是走去问个喺D场做DJ嘅老友，佢竟然话：「乜你咁背㗎！嗰首咪系而家唱到行晒，由DJ Lorry同张茵合唱嘅《上一个不爱回家的人．下一个》啰！」 [Cantonese, simp.]nam2 gik6 dou1 nam2 m4 tung1, jyu1 si6 zau2 heoi3 man6 go3 hai2 di1 coeng4 zou6 di1 zhei1 ge3 lou5 jau5, keoi5 ging2 jin4 waa6: “mat1 nei5 gam3 bui6 gaa3! go2 sau2 mai6 hai6 ji4 gaa1 coeng3 dou3 hang4 saai3, jau4 DJ Lorry tung4 zoeng1 jan1 hap6 coeng3 ge3 “soeng6 jat1 go3 bat1 oi3 wui4 gaa1 dik1 jan4. haa6 jat1 go3” lo1!” [Jyutping]No matter how hard I tried, I could not think of why, so I went to ask an old friend who works at a DJ at a disco; to my surprise, he told me: “How are you so behind the times!? Why, it’s the duet by DJ Lorry and Yennis, ‘Previous Person who Does Not Like To Return Home · Next Person’!”
13. (swimming) short for 背泳 (bèiyǒng, “backstroke”)

trad. 背/揹* simp. 背

背

1. to carry on the back
2. (figurative) to carry; to bear (blame); to shoulder (responsibility)

• (to carry on the back): 馱／驮 (tuó)

• “背”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎[2], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014-

(Sixth grade kyōiku kanji)

1. back, stature

• Go-on: へ (he)、べ (be)、はい (hai, Jōyō)、ばい (bai)
• Kan-on: はい (hai, Jōyō)
• Kun: せ (se, 背, Jōyō)、せい (sei, 背, Jōyō)、そむく (somuku, 背く, Jōyō)、そむける (somukeru, 背ける, Jōyō)

Kanji in this term 背 せGrade: 6 kun’yomi Alternative spellings 背脊 (uncommon)

• (one’s height): 背(せい) (sei)

• (one’s back; the rear of something):

• (Tokyo) せ [sè] (Heiban – [0])[1]
• (Tokyo) せ [séꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
• IPA(key): [se̞]

• (one’s height):

• (Tokyo) せ [séꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[1]
• IPA(key): [se̞]

背(せ) • (se)

1. one’s back (part of the human body)
2. one’s height 田(た)中(なか)さんは背(せ)が高(たか)い。Tanaka-san wa se ga takai.Tanaka is tall.(literally, “Tanaka’s height is high.”)
3. the rear of something, the area behind
4. spine (of a book) Synonym: 背(せ)表(びょう)紙(し) (sebyōshi)

• (part of the body): 背(せ)中(なか) (senaka)

Kanji in this term 背 せいGrade: 6 kun’yomi Alternative spelling 脊

• (Tokyo) せー [séꜜè] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA(key): [se̞ː]

背(せい) • (sei)

1. height

• “背”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎[3] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015-2026

From Middle Chinese 背 (MC bwojH|pwojH). Recorded as Middle Korean ᄇᆡ〯 (pǒy) (Yale: pǒy) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key): [pɛ(ː)] ~ [pe̞(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [배(ː)/베(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

背 (eumhun 등 배 (deung bae))

1. hanja form? of 배 (“back”)
2. hanja form? of 배 (“betrayal”)

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [4]

背: Hán Nôm readings: bối, bội, bổi, bồi

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.