背脊 (bèi jǐ) — back (of the human body)

Definition

noun

back (of the human body)

Measure word · 个

背脊。
Wǒ de bèi jǐ hěn téng.
My back hurts a lot.
背脊，。
Tā tǐng zhí le bèi jǐ, zhàn dé hěn duān zhèng.
He straightened his back and stood very upright.
背脊。
Yī shēng zǐ xì jiǎn chá le tā de bèi jǐ.
The doctor carefully examined his back.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

背 is the back and 脊 is the spine, giving the back 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

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

肉肉ròuflesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

朿

朿cì脊jǐ

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The original drawing of 脊 showed a fish spine; later 肉 (flesh) was added to point to the meaning, while the upper 朿 part supplied the sound.