Japanese word

裏面

Pronunciation

Romajirimen

Meaning

  • nounback

Example

カードの裏面を見ます。kā do no ri men o mi ma su

I look at the back of the card.

Illustration for 裏面 (back)

More examples

封筒の裏面に差出人の住所を書きます。fū tō no ri men ni sashidashi nin no jū sho o ka ki ma su

I write the sender's address on the back of the envelope.

Core concept

Identifies the non-front side of something, especially when its two sides have different uses or appearances.

Common phrases

  • 紙の裏面kami no ri men

    the back of a sheet of paper

  • 裏面に印刷するri men ni in satsu su ru

    print on the back

Similar words

裏ura: The opposite or less visible side of an object or surface.
裏側uragawa: The surface on the other side of an object, with emphasis on its physical location.
背面haimen: The back surface of an object with a distinct front-facing side.

Definition in Japanese

物の表とは反対側に位置する面。mono no hyō to wa han tai gawa ni i chi su ru men

Word origin

裏面 (rimen) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 裏 (ri, "back") and 面 (men, "side"), so its structure directly expresses a back side.

Usage tips

  • On Japanese cards and forms, 裏面 (rimen) often marks information or directions printed on the side that is not shown first.

Other meanings

  • reversenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word