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背后 (bèi hòu) — behind; at the back (physical location); behind someone's back; secretly (figurative, often negative)

Definition

背后 pairs the concrete 'behind (physical location)' with the figurative 'behind someone's back, secretly'. For physical 'behind', use 后面; 幕后 is the written 'behind the scenes'.

noun
behindat the back (physical location)behind someone's backsecretly (figurative, often negative)

Examples

  • 背后。
    Shān bèi hòu yǒu yí gè xiǎo cūn zi.
    There is a small village behind the mountain.
  • 背后。
    Tā zǒng zài bié rén bèi hòu gǎo xiǎo dòng zuò.
    He's always making sneaky moves behind others' backs.
  • 背后，。
    Nǐ zhàn zài wǒ bèi hòu, wǒ kàn bú jiàn nǐ.
    You're standing behind me — I can't see you.

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.

背bèiback
后hòubehind

The first part means back, and the second part means behind, together naming the area behind someone.

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 →

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 →
Appears in
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