背 (bèi) — to memorize, to recite from memory; to turn one's back (to); to hide (something) from, to keep secret from
Definition
背 (bèi) as a verb has two unrelated senses: 'recite from memory' (背课文) and 'turn one's back / hide something from' (背着我, 背着大家). For memorizing, 背 stresses active recitation; 记 covers recalling or noting down.
verb
to memorizeto recite from memoryto turn one's back (to)to hide (something) fromto keep secret from
Examples
- 背。Wǒ huì bèi zhè shǒu shī.I can recite this poem.
- 背，。Tā bèi duì zhe wǒ, bù shuō huà.He turned his back to me and didn't speak.
- 。Zhè jiàn shì tā bèi zhe wǒ zuò de.He did this thing behind my back (without telling me).
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
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.
Appears in
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