漢字Kanji · in Human Body & People
背: stature, height
Also: back, behind, disobey, defy, go back on, rebel
JLPT N39 strokesGrade 6Your ink: 白 Not met
月 carries the meaning · 北 gives the sound
9 strokes
Five readings, and the words that use each
ハイhai · on'yomi · in compounds
- 背後はいごback
- 背景はいけいbackground
せse · kun'yomi · on its own
- 背せ/せいheight (of body)
- 背広せびろbusiness suit
- 背中せなかback (of body)
- 背負うせおうcarry on back or shoulder
せいsei · kun'yomi
- 背比べせいくらべcomparing heights
そむくsomuku · kun'yomi
- 背くそむくrun counter to [v.i.]
そむけるsomukeru · kun'yomi
- 背けるそむけるturn one's face away [v.t.]
Words: Kanji alive, CC BY 4.0.
成り立ち
Where it comes from
Memory story · made up to help you remember
“It looks like the moon, but it's actually muscle! When you see this "moon" on the left side of a character, don't think of the night sky—think of your own body.”
繋がり
Connections
Ink shades, lightest to darkest: 白 Not met, 淡 Met, 中 Learning, 濃 Familiar, 印 Mastered
Also read ハイ
10 kanji share this on'yomiIn ChineseSame character in simplified and traditional · bèi
Same form: 背 is written the same way in mainland China (simplified) and in Taiwan and Hong Kong (traditional).
- Simplified
- 背 mainland China, Singapore
- Traditional
- 背 Taiwan, Hong Kong
Pinyin bèi most common reading
Forms and pinyin: Unicode Unihan database (Unicode License v3). Pinyin lists the most common reading, not every reading.
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