# Pronunciation: 背



## yuechu

大家好，

Someone was explaining to me what the word 小话 means in Chinese (which is different than the English phrase "small talk") and used the word 背：

“中文里还有讲“小话”就是词的。 比方说： 上课讲小话， 就是老师在上课，学生偷偷摸摸在下面背着老师私语（小声的说话）。是要被老师批评的。”

Should the word 背 here be pronounced bei1 or bei4?
Thanks!


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## Skatinginbc

背 bei4 "back, behind, against" 背着老师 behind the teacher's back
背 bei "carry, bear"


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## yuechu

Thanks for your help, Skatinginbc!


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## yuechu

大家好！
I have another question about 背.
How do you pronounce 背 (in Mandarin) in this context? I think it's bèi, right?
再见了　背向你　眉头多少伤悲
也许不必再讲　所有道理
何时放松我自己　才能花天酒地

Also, do these lyrics make sense in Mandarin or does it only make sense in Cantonese? (Would anyone be able to translate them?)
Thanks!


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## hx1997

Yes, you're right. I think it makes sense in Mandarin too, but it's too abstract for me to translate. Basically it's about "I" (in the lyrics) being about to part with someone, which makes "me" feel sad. 
And I like that song a lot.


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## Skatinginbc

yuechu said:


> 背向你


背 back
向 toward
你 you
背向你 (turning) my back to(ward) you = leaving you (or not seeing you)


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## yuechu

Thank you both!


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## yuechu

I was on Youtube today and was wondering how to pronounce this person's name: 阿背
Should 背 here be pronounced bēi or bèi?


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## hx1997

I'm not sure, but I vote for bèi.


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## philchinamusical

yuechu said:


> I was on Youtube today and was wondering how to pronounce this person's name: 阿背
> Should 背 here be pronounced bēi or bèi?



My opinion is *that depends*. Usually if you see a Chinese name as "阿X", it's most likely to be a nick name, or a very local style given name which are rarely to see nowadays. In some places in southern provinces like Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Hong Kong, Macau, or Yunnan and so on, people would call close friends or family members in that way. So how it is pronounced is all based on their dialects.

In my opinion, if it's said in Cantonese, it perhaps sounds like bei1.


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## hx1997

I agree with Phil. Nicknames like 阿X sound southern, and its pronunciation in Mandarin may depend on how it is pronounced in the original southern dialect.


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## SimonTsai

@yuechu, I would say that in Taiwan, you could always pronounce the 4th tone in this case, and add that 小話 is rarely used here.


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## SuperXW

philchinamusical said:


> In my opinion, if it's said in Cantonese, it perhaps sounds like bei1.


I doubt that. First, I never heard any Cantonese person have such a strange nick name. The meaning "to carry" doesn't reflect 背 in Cantonese. Second, it has two tones: bui3 and bui6, at least bui6 doesn't sound like the 1st tone in Mandarin.


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## brofeelgood

SuperXW said:


> The meaning "to carry" doesn't reflect 背 in Cantonese.


'To carry' is 孭 in Cantonese. (jyutping: me1)
背書包 = 孭書包
背黑鍋 = 孭鑊
背債 = 孭數


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## yuechu

Thank you all for your replies!


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