背 meaning and stroke order
The back of a body or object; to turn one's back; to hide something from
How to write 背, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 背
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- the back of a body or object
- to turn one's back
- to hide something from
- to learn by heart
- to recite from memory
- (slang) unlucky
- to carry on one's back
- (fig.) to bear; to shoulder (a burden, blame etc)
- variant of 背[bei1]
How 背 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Flesh.
⺼ gives the meaning and 北 hints at the sound.
Radical: ⺼ (meat), shared by 176 characters on this site.
How to remember 背
背 is built from 北 (běi) on top and ⺼, the flesh radical, below. 北 gives the sound, and the flesh part tells you this is a body part: the back.
Read as bèi, it means the back or to recite from memory, as in 背后 (bèihòu) and 背课文 (bèi kèwén). Read as bēi, it means to carry on your back, as in 背包 (bēibāo). Example: 我每天晚上背单词。(Wǒ měitiān wǎnshang bèi dāncí.) I memorize vocabulary every night.
Common mistake: Learners often say bèi for every use, but carrying on your back is bēi, as in 背孩子 (bēi háizi), to carry a child on your back. Also do not confuse the top part 北 with 比 (bǐ); 北 has a different left side.
Common words with 背
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 背后 | bèihòu | behind; at the back | HSK 3 |
| 背景 | bèijǐng | background; backdrop; context; (fig.) powerful backer | HSK 4 |
| 背包 | bēibāo | knapsack; rucksack | HSK 5 |
| 背着 | bèizhe | carrying on one's back | HSK 6 |
| 背心 | bèixīn | sleeveless garment (vest, waistcoat, singlet, tank top etc) | HSK 6 |
| 背叛 | bèipàn | to betray | HSK 7-9 |
| 违背 | wéibèi | to go against; to be contrary to | HSK 7-9 |
| 背面 | bèimiàn | the back; the reverse side | HSK 7-9 |
| 背诵 | bèisòng | to recite; to repeat from memory | HSK 7-9 |
| 背部 | bèibù | back (of a human or other vertebrate, or of an object) | |
| 后背 | hòubèi | the back (human anatomy); the back part of sth | |
| 背负 | bēifù | to bear; to carry on one's back | |
| 背弃 | bèiqì | to abandon; to desert | |
| 驼背 | tuóbèi | hunchbacked; stooping |
背 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 背
How many strokes are in 背?
背 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 背 mean?
背 (bèi) means the back of a body or object; to turn one's back; to hide something from. A common word with it is 背后 (bèihòu), meaning "behind; at the back".
How do you pronounce 背?
背 is pronounced bèi, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 背?
The radical of 背 is ⺼, which carries the idea of "meat". Dictionaries list 背 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 背?
The traditional form of 背 is 揹. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 背 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 背 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 背 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why does 背 mean to memorize?
In everyday Chinese, 背 (bèi) means to recite something from memory, so it is used for learning by heart. Students say 背书 (bèi shū) or 背单词 (bèi dāncí) for memorizing texts and words.
What does 背 mean in slang?
In casual speech, 背 (bèi) can mean unlucky. For example, 今天真背 (jīntiān zhēn bèi) means I am really unlucky today.