背部 (bèi bù) — back (of the body); rear side | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal, written word for the 'back' of the body (and the back/rear of objects). Use 背 (bèi) for everyday speech; 背部 is the more clinical or technical term.

noun

back (of the body)rear side

Examples

，背部。
Tā xǐ huan yǎng zhe shuì, suǒ yǐ bèi bù hěn suān tòng.
He likes to sleep on his back, so his back is quite sore.
背部。
Qǐng bǎ yǐ zi kào zài qiáng bèi bù.
Please lean the chair against the back of the wall.
背部。
Zhè jiàn yī fu de bèi bù yǒu lā liàn.
There is a zipper on the back of this garment.

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.

部bùsection

背 names the back and 部 names a body section, giving the rear side of the body.

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.

北月背

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.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

咅

咅pǒu部bù

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

部 pairs 咅, which gives the sound, with 邑. It originally named a place in today's Gansu.

Appears in

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