背 (bèi) is a Chinese character meaning “the back (of the body)”. It is written from 北 (north) and 月 (moon; month), one above the other, and takes 9 strokes. It has a second reading, bēi, which turns up in 背包 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “the back (of the body)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
北 + 月
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字（背，脊也。从肉北聲）
Memory aid
北 sits on top, two figures turned back to back; 月 underneath is the flesh-and-body part. Back to back, on the body — that is your back.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 后背hòu bèithe back (of the human body)背 = bèi
- 驼背tuó bèihunchback; to be hunchbacked背 = bèi
- 背叛bèi pànto betray背 = bèi
- 背诵bèi sòngto recite from memory背 = bèi
- 脊背jǐ bèithe back (of the body)背 = bèi
Go deeper
All readings
the back (of the body)
the back (of the body); the back or reverse side of something; to turn one's back on; to recite from memory
人体后面从肩到腰的部分；也指物体的反面，或背对着、不看着书念出来。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 后背hòu bèithe back (of the human body)背 = bèi
- 驼背tuó bèihunchback; to be hunchbacked背 = bèi
- 背叛bèi pànto betray背 = bèi
- 背诵bèi sòngto recite from memory背 = bèi
- 脊背jǐ bèithe back (of the body)背 = bèi
to carry on the back
to carry on one's back; to shoulder (a load, a responsibility)
用背驮着东西；也指担负起责任。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 背包bēi bāobackpack; knapsack背 = bēi
Sound component
北 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 背 mean?
背 (bèi) means the back (of the body); the back or reverse side of something; to turn one's back on; to recite from memory.
How do you pronounce 背?
Its main reading is bèi. It also has a second reading, bēi, which only shows up in certain words such as 背包 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 背 sometimes pronounced bēi?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 背包 it is read bēi.
What parts is 背 made of?
北 (north) and 月 (moon; month), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字（背，脊也。从肉北聲）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 背 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 背?
肉. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 背?
Common ones are 后背 and 驼背. The reading of 背 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.