Chinese word

背影

Pronunciation

Pinyinbèi yǐng

Meaning

  • nounback view

Example

我看到他的背影走进了地铁站。wǒ kàn dào tā de bèi yǐng zǒu jìn le dì tiě zhàn

I saw his back as he walked into the subway station.

Illustration for 背影 (back view)

More examples

火车开走后，他的背影越来越小。huǒ chē kāi zǒu hòu tā de bèi yǐng yuè lái yuè xiǎo

After the train left, his receding figure grew smaller and smaller.

Core concept

The visible outline of a person or thing from behind, with its whole shape standing in for details that cannot be seen.

Common phrases

  • 看到背影kàn dào bèi yǐng

    see someone's back view

  • 他的背影tā de bèi yǐng

    his back view

  • 远处的背影yuǎn chù de bèi yǐng

    a distant back view

Similar words

身影shēn yǐng: A person's form or outline as seen from behind, often as they move away.
影子yǐng zi: A shape on a surface or the ground caused by blocked light.

Definition in Chinese

指从后面看到的人或物的身影或轮廓，强调外形而非细节，常用于书面或带有感情色彩的叙述。zhǐ cóng hòu miàn kàn dào de rén huò wù de shēn yǐng huò lún kuò qiáng diào wài xíng ér fēi xì jié cháng yòng yú shū miàn huò dài yǒu gǎn qíng sè cǎi de xù shù

Word origin

背 (bèi, "back") + 影 (yǐng, "shadow or image") combine to describe the outline of a person or thing seen from behind.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this noun sounds more literary and reflective than plain practical speech, so it often appears in narration, captions, and descriptions of someone leaving.

Other meanings

  • silhouettenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word