背

• Anatomical: The human back.
• Spatial/Directional: Behind or at the rear; often denotes orientation (facing away from a point) rather than mere location.
• Verbal (Physical): To carry on the back; to turn one's back.
• Verbal (Abstract): A spectrum of distancing, ranging from ignoring and neglecting to abandoning and betraying.

• Noun: The body part or a rear position.
• Transitive Verb: To turn away from, neglect, or betray (a person, promise, or bond).
• Locative/Prepositional: Functioning as "behind" or "at the back of."

// Tang-period reading: //bə̀i.

• Semantic variant: U+7D63.

• Orientation vs. Location: In geographical or architectural contexts, determine if the glyph establishes a cardinal orientation (facing away from a landmark) rather than simply describing where something is situated.
• The Betrayal Spectrum: Depending on context, verbal instances may range from simple emotional distancing or neglect to active treason; avoid an automatic translation of "betray."
• Spatial vs. Temporal: This glyph denotes position and orientation; it is generally not used to indicate temporal sequence ("after").