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后背 (hòu bēi) — back (of the body); back (rear side of an object)

Definition

后背 specifically means the 'back' of a person (the body part), unlike 后面 which means the spatial 'back / behind'. It can also extend to the rear side of objects like a chair.

noun
back (of the body)back (rear side of an object)

Examples

  • 后背。
    Tā měi tiān jiān chí duàn liàn hòu bēi de jī ròu.
    He insists on exercising the muscles of his back every day.
  • 后背。
    Zhè zhāng zhào piàn pāi de shì tā de hòu bēi.
    This photo captures her back.
  • 后背。
    Yǐ zi de hòu bēi shè jì dé hěn shū shì.
    The back of the chair is designed to be very comfortable.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

后hòurear
背bèiback

The rear side of the body: 后 says behind and 背 names the back.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 後; 后 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 後 showed 夊 (foot) bound by 幺 (thread), a foot caught by a rope and lagging behind; the simplified 后 is a later abbreviation, and 后 also has a different meaning.

Open 后 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
月Written in full as肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
北
北běi背bèi
Same sound today

背 was first written as 北; 北 gives the sound, and 肉 (meat, written as 月 here) was added to separate it from 北’s north meaning.

Open 背 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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