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背上 (bèi shàng) — on the back (location)

Definition

背上 (bēi) means the surface or area of a person's or animal's back — used as a location noun, often with 上 or 的 to specify something on that surface.

noun
on the back (location)

Examples

  • ，背上。
    Bēi bāo tài zhòng le, tā de bèi shàng dōu mó pò le.
    The backpack was too heavy; the skin on his back was rubbed raw.
  • 背上。
    Xiǎo māo shū fu dì tǎng zài zhǔ rén de bèi shàng shàng shài tài yáng.
    The kitten lay comfortably on its owner's back, sunbathing.
  • 背上，。
    Nǐ bèi shàng de shāng hái méi hǎo, bié bān zhòng dōng xī.
    The injury on your back hasn't healed yet — don't lift heavy things.

Origin

Characters in this word

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 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

上 is drawn as a short horizontal line placed above a longer arc, marking a position above that arc.

Open 上 →
Appears in
Body Parts

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