背着 (bēi zhe) — to carry (something) on one's back; to do something behind someone's back; secretly; to bear (a burden, debt, etc.)

Definition

背着 (bēi zhe) covers three senses: physically carrying on the back, doing something in secret ('behind someone's back'), and bearing a burden like debt. The 'secretly' sense uses 背着 a person, while 'carry/bear' takes a thing.

verb
to carry (something) on one's backto do something behind someone's backsecretlyto bear (a burden, debt, etc.)

Examples

  • 背着。
    Tā bēi zhe shū bāo qù shàng xué.
    He carries his backpack to go to school.
  • 背着。
    Tā bēi zhe qī zi cún le yì xiē sī fáng qián.
    He secretly saved some private money behind his wife's back.
  • 背着，。
    Tā bēi zhe chén zhòng de zhài wù, měi tiān dōu hěn jiāo lǜ.
    He carries heavy debt and is anxious every day.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 著; 着 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě著zháo
Same sound today

The traditional form 著 puts 艸 (grass; plant) above 者, which gives the sound; the simplified 着 is a later shorthand.

Open 着 →

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