背诵

• Pinyin: bèi sòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 背 = 北 (north/back) + 月 (flesh); 诵 = 讠 (speech) + 甬 (phonetic)

Meaning

To recite from memory; to memorize and recite. To reproduce text verbatim.

The act of committing text to memory and being able to reproduce it verbatim. A traditional and still common learning method in Chinese education, especially for classical poetry, texts, and key passages.

Examples

1. 小学生都要背诵古诗词，这是基本功。 Elementary school students all have to memorize classical poetry — it's a fundamental skill.
2. 他能一字不差地背诵整篇课文。 He can recite the entire text word for word.
3. 背诵不是死记硬背，要在理解的基础上记忆。 Recitation isn't mindless memorization — it should be based on understanding.

Usage Guide

Context: education, study, performance

Tone: academic

Do Say

• 请把这首诗背诵下来。(Please memorize and recite this poem.)
• 他背诵得很流利。(He recited it very fluently.)

Don't Say

• 把看着读叫'背诵' (Don't call reading aloud 背诵 — 背诵 specifically means reciting from memory)

Origin & History

背 (from memory, without looking) + 诵 (to recite). To recite without looking at the text.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal