The character 背 — “carry on the back”: how to write it and what it means
carry on the back
The Chinese character 背 is read bēi and means “carry on the back”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 背
背 has 9 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 背, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 背 is made of
At the bottom, 月 “flesh, body”; on top, 北 běi hints at the sound. Second reading: bèi, “back”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 背
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 背?
背 has 9 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 背 mean?
背 means “carry on the back”. It appears in 背包 (“backpack”), 背后 (“behind one's back”), 背景 (“background”), 背心 (“tank top”).
How do you pronounce 背?
背 is read bēi. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 背 have?
9 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 背 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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