bui3背
Jyutpingbui3
Yalebui
Definition
The back; the rear part of something.
colloquialbody
How it's used
Refers specifically to the anatomical back of a person or animal. While the character is used in formal contexts for the concept of 'back' or 'behind', in daily speech, people almost exclusively use the compound 背脊 to refer to the body part. Using just the single character to describe a person's back sounds unnatural and overly literary.
Examples
His back is very itchy.
There is some dirt on your back.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 揹, which means to carry something on one's back. While they share the same character in some contexts, the tone and usage are distinct when used as a verb.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
