背 Stroke Order — How to Write 背
背 is written in 9 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical ⺼, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
背 Radical and Character Components
背 is a phono-semantic compound: ⺼ (flesh) carries the meaning, while 北 indicates the sound.
Radical: ⺼ + 5 more strokes
背 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- bèi
- bēi
Meanings of 背 in Chinese
1
bèi背
The back part of the human body from the shoulders to the waist, as in 'backbone', 'backpack' (as a noun), or 'silhouette'.
他的背影消失在远处。
His silhouette disappeared in the distance.
The back or reverse side of an object, image, or scene; background.
这张照片的背景很美。
The background of this photo is beautiful.
To turn one's back to; to face away from; opposite of 'facing'.
我喜欢背光坐着看书
I like to sit with my back to the light and read.
To turn one's back, to go in the opposite direction, contrary to.
他们的想法与公司的发展方向背道而驰
Their ideas run counter to the company's development direction.
To avoid; to turn one's back on; to leave or abandon a place.
为了更好的发展机会，许多年轻人选择背井离乡去大城市打拼
For better development opportunities, many young people choose to leave their hometowns and strive in big cities.
To recite or memorize from memory, often referring to texts, lines, or lessons.
小明正在努力背诵这篇课文。
Xiao Ming is working hard to recite this lesson text from memory.
To violate; to go against (a principle, agreement, or trust)
他不会违背自己的诺言
He will not go back on his word.
Unlucky; out of luck; experiencing misfortune.
他今天真是背运，出门就摔了一跤。
He's really unlucky today; he fell as soon as he left the house.
Remote, secluded, or out-of-the-way, often implying quietness.
他们喜欢在公园背静的角落里聊天。
They enjoy chatting in the secluded corners of the park.
Hard of hearing; partially deaf (often in the context of 'ear', e.g., 耳背).
他年纪大了，有点耳背，你说话声音大一点。
He's old and a bit hard of hearing; please speak a little louder.
2
bēi背
To carry on the back (e.g., a bag); metaphorically, to bear a burden or take the blame for others.
他没有做错什么，却常常替别人背黑锅
He didn't do anything wrong, yet he often takes the blame for others.
Common Words and Phrases with 背
1
to rank last in an examination
小明这次期末考试竟然背榜了，全班倒数第一，真是出乎所有人的意料。
Xiao Ming actually ranked last in this final exam, at the very bottom of the class, which truly surprised everyone.
2
A bag, often carried on the back, used for carrying personal belongings, similar to a knapsack or rucksack.
他收拾好背包，准备开始新的旅程。
He packed his backpack, ready to start a new journey.
3
to have a load on one's mind; to be burdened with financial or mental stress
期末考试临近，小明感觉自己背上了沉重的学习包袱。
As the final exams approached, Xiao Ming felt he was carrying a heavy academic burden.
4
To abandon the fundamental and pursue the trivial.
有些企业在发展初期，为了追求短期利润而背本就末，忽视了产品质量和品牌建设，最终导致了市场份额的流失。
Some enterprises, in their early stages of development, abandoned the fundamental for the trivial by pursuing short-term profits, neglecting product quality and brand building, ultimately leading to the loss of market share.
5
6
uncertain; maybe; perhaps
他学习很努力，背不住这次考试能考个好成绩。
He studies very hard, it's possible he'll get a good grade on this exam.
7
a quiet and secluded place
我们去那个背场儿坐一会儿，这里太吵了。
Let's go to that quiet corner and sit for a while, it's too noisy here.
8
run counter to; be contrary to
市场走势与分析师的预期背驰。
The market trend diverged from the analysts' expectations.
9
A waistcoat or vest.
奶奶冬天喜欢穿一件厚厚的羊毛背褡，这样就不怕冷了
Grandma likes to wear a thick wool vest in winter, so she's not afraid of the cold.
10
A cloth-bag for carrying bedding, clothes, or other personal items when traveling or going out.
小明收拾好自己的背搭子，里面装满了准备远行时用的衣物和干粮。
Xiao Ming packed his carry-all bag, filling it with clothes and dry food for his upcoming journey.
11
Straps worn over the shoulders to hold up clothing or carry an object.
这款背包的背带设计得很宽，背起来非常舒适。
The straps of this backpack are designed to be wide, making it very comfortable to carry.
12
Rompers, a type of children's clothing with trousers and shoulder straps.
她喜欢穿背带裤，因为它们既舒适又时尚。
She likes to wear overalls because they are both comfortable and stylish.
13
a secluded and unfrequented path
为了避开人流，他选择了穿过小树林的背道儿
To avoid the crowds, he chose the less-trodden path through the small grove.
14
to run in the opposite direction; to run counter to; to be diametrically opposed
他的最新研究结果与传统理论背道而驰，引发了学术界的广泛讨论。
His latest research findings run contrary to traditional theories, sparking widespread discussion in the academic community.
15
privately; behind one's back; unbeknownst to others
他总是背地里说别人坏话，这让我很不舒服。
He always speaks ill of others behind their back, which makes me uncomfortable.
More words with 背
- wéi违bèi背violate, go against
- dāo刀bèi背spine, back of the knife
- diàn垫bèi背to be a scapegoat, to take the blame
- ěr耳bèi背hard of hearing
- jǐ脊bèi背back, spine
- jiàn见bèi背Pass away, Die
- tuó驼bèi背hunchback, stoop
- xiàng向bèi背support or opposition, adherence and desertion
- xiàng项bèi背nape and back
- jiǎng桨yè叶bèi背blade back
- cā擦bèi背to scrub one's back (when bathing)
- chì赤bèi背naked back; bare-backed
- dā搭bèi背A back pad.
- dá瘩bèi背carbuncle on the back
- qiǎng抢bèi背Backward somersault, Back fall
- sǐ死bèi背To learn by rote; to parrot.
- juān捐bèi背to die; to pass away
- kào靠bèi背backrest
- zhuǎn转bèi背Turn one's back
- bèi背jǐng景background, setting
Idioms with 背
- bèi背àn暗tóu投míng明abandon darkness, embrace light
- bèi背běn本qū趋mò末neglect the essential and pursue the trivial
- bèi背cáo槽pāo抛fèn粪Repay kindness with enmity
- bèi背chéng城yī一zhàn战fight a decisive battle with no retreat
- bèi背ēn恩qì弃yì义betray kindness and abandon loyalty
- bèi背fù腹shòu受dí敌attacked from front and back
- bèi背gōng公xiàng向sī私put private interests above public duty
- bèi背jǐng井lí离xiāng乡leave one's hometown to live elsewhere
- bèi背shēng生máng芒cì刺feel extremely uneasy or apprehensive
- bèi背shuǐ水wèi为zhèn阵fight with no way of retreat
- bèi背shuǐ水yī一zhàn战fight a desperate battle with no retreat
- bèi背xiāng乡lí离jǐng井Leave one's hometown to live elsewhere
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Open the tool →Questions about 背
What does 背 mean in Chinese?
背 (bèi) means “To turn one's back to” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 背?
背 has 2 pronunciations: bèi, bēi.
How many strokes does 背 have?
背 has 9 strokes.
How do you write 背?
背 is written in 9 strokes, starting from the radical ⺼. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 背?
The radical of 背 is ⺼, and 背 is a phono-semantic compound.
