Chinese word

手背

Pronunciation

Pinyinshǒu bèi

Meaning

  • nounback of the hand

Example

我的手背被蚊子咬了。wǒ de shǒu bèi bèi wén zi yǎo le

A mosquito bit the back of my hand.

Illustration for 手背 (back of the hand)

More examples

我用毛巾擦了手背。wǒ yòng máo jīn cā le shǒu bèi

I wiped the back of my hand with a towel.

Core concept

The outer side of the hand opposite the palm, forming a surface between the wrist and the finger bases.

Common phrases

  • 擦手背cā shǒu bèi

    rub the back of one's hand

  • 摸手背mō shǒu bèi

    touch the back of one's hand

Similar words

手心shǒu xīn: The slightly hollow area near the center of the palm.
手掌shóu zhǎng: The whole palm surface extending from the wrist to the finger bases.
手腕shǒu wàn: The part around the wrist where the hand joins the arm.
手指shóu zhǐ: Each separate finger extending from the hand.

Definition in Chinese

手的背面，从手腕到指根的皮肤部分，位于手掌的对面。shǒu de bèi miàn cóng shǒu wàn dào zhǐ gēn de pí fū bù fèn wèi yú shóu zhǎng de duì miàn

Word origin

The compound 手 (shǒu, "hand") + 背 (bèi, "back") applies the idea of a body's rear side to the hand.

Usage tips

  • Medical and everyday descriptions use this word to locate things such as a bite, rash, or cream on the outside of the hand.

Opposites

  • 手心shǒu xīnpalmnoun

Word lists with this word