Dictionary › 背

背

bèi

HSK 5 Character

What 背 means

1. the back of a body or object
2. to turn one's back
3. to hide something from
4. to learn by heart
5. to recite from memory
6. slangunlucky
7. hard of hearing

Other readings

背 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• bēito carry on one's back; (fig.) to bear; to shoulder (a burden, blame etc)
• bēivariant of {背|bēi}

Example sentences

• 背痒。
  My back is itchy.
• 我背不好。
  I have back problems.
• 他脱了背心。
  Tā tuō le bèixīn.
  He took off the wife-beater.
• 请帮我洗背。
  Please wash my back.
• 谁背叛我们？
  Who betrayed us?
• 他是一个驼背。
  Tā shì yī gè tuóbèi.
  He is a hunchback.

Words starting with 背

• 背景bèi jǐngbackground; backdrop; context; (fig.) powerful backer
• 背诵bèi sòngto recite; to repeat from memory
• 背叛bèi pànto betray
• 背后bèi hòubehind; at the back; in the rear
• 背着bèi zheturning one's back to (sth or sb); keeping sth secret from (sb)…
• 背影bèi yǐngrear view; figure seen from behind; view of the back (of a person or object)
• 背包bēi bāoknapsack; rucksack; infantry pack
• 背心bèi xīnsleeveless garment (vest, waistcoat, singlet, tank top etc)
• 背面bèi miànthe back; the reverse side; the wrong side
• 背负bēi fùto bear; to carry on one's back; to shoulder
• 背部bèi bùback (of a human or other vertebrate, or of an object)
• 背景音乐bèi jǐng yīn yuèbackground music (BGM); soundtrack; musical setting
• 背书bèi shūto recite (a text) from memory; to learn a text by heart; to back…
• 背离bèi líto depart from; to deviate from; deviation
• 背道而驰bèi dào ér chíto run in the opposite direction (idiom); to run counter to
• 背地里bèi dì libehind sb's back; secretly
• 背脊bèi jǐthe back of the human body
• 背带bēi dàibraces; suspenders; sling (for a rifle)
• 背囊bèi nángbackpack; knapsack; rucksack
• 背弃bèi qìto abandon; to desert; to renounce
• 背井离乡bèi jǐng lí xiāngto leave one's native place, esp. against one's will (idiom)
• 背篓bēi lǒua basket carried on the back
• 背着手bèi zhe shǒuwith one's hands clasped behind one's back
• 背光bèi guāngto have direct light blocked; to face away from the light source; (electronics) backlight

Words containing 背

• 违背wéi bèito go against; to be contrary to; to violate
• 后背hòu bèithe back (human anatomy); the back part of sth
• 手背shǒu bèiback of the hand
• 椅背yǐ bèithe back of a chair
• 脊背jǐ bèiback (of a human or other vertebrate)
• 马背mǎ bèihorse's back; (traditional Chinese architecture) roof with a low-slung curved ridgelines…
• 驼背tuó bèihunchbacked; stooping; hunchback
• 死记硬背sǐ jì yìng bèito learn by rote; to mechanically memorize
• 汗流浃背hàn liú jiā bèito sweat profusely (idiom); drenched in sweat
• 脚背jiǎo bèiinstep (upper surface of the foot)
• 去背qù bèi(Taiwan) to remove the background from an image
• 向背xiàng bèisupport or opposition; alignment with or against a person, group or cause
• 捐背juān bèito die
• 断背duàn bèihomosexual (a reference to Brokeback Mountain 断背山
• 死背sǐ bèito learn by rote
• 相背xiāng bèicontrary; opposite
• 见背jiàn bèi(formal) (euphemism) (of an elder) to pass away
• 转背zhuǎn bèito turn one's back; to turn around; fig. change in a very short time
• 黑背hēi bèiGerman shepherd
• 点背diǎn bèi(dialect) to be out of luck
• 断背山Duàn bèi ShānBrokeback Mountain, 2005 English-language film by Ang Lee 李安
• 走背字zǒu bèi zìto have bad luck
• 点儿背diǎn r bèi(dialect) to be out of luck
• 点子背diǎn zi bèi(colloquial) to have a stroke of bad luck

Characters built on 月

These share the phonetic component 月 (yuè), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 肥féifat; fertile; loose-fitting or large
• 肺fèilung
• 胃wèistomach
• 腓féicalf of leg; decay; protect
• 肋lèi(bound form) rib; Taiwan pr. lè
• 胚pēiembryo
• 羸léientangled; lean
• 脢méimeat on the back of an animal

Characters that look like 背

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 肯kěnto agree; to consent; to be willing to
• 冒màoto emit; to give off; to send out (or up, forth); to brave; to face; (bound form) reckless
• 赁lìnto rent
• 弯wānto bend; bent; a bend; a turn (in a road etc)
• 肾shènkidney
• 莺yīngoriole or various birds of the Sylvidae family including warblers

Sounds the same

Read bèi, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 被quilt; to cover (with); (literary) to suffer (a misfortune)
• 备(bound form) to prepare; to equip; (literary) fully; completely
• 倍(two, three etc) -fold; times (multiplier); double
• 贝cowrie; shellfish; currency (archaic)
• 辈lifetime; generation; group of people
• 惫exhausted
• 狈a legendary wolf; distressed; wretched
• 蓓used in 蓓蕾
• 焙to dry over a fire; to bake
• 悖to go against; to be contrary to; perverse
• 钡barium (chemistry)
• 孛comet