Usage patterns 〈 物もの 〉 の 裏うら 側がわ を 見み る to look at the back/reverse side of something
Please look at the back of the card.
裏うら 側がわ に 回まわ る to go around to the back (of a building, object, etc.)
I went around to the back of the building looking for an entrance.
〈 事こと 〉 の 裏うら 側がわ を 探さぐ る to dig into the hidden side of an affair or event
The reporter tried to dig into the hidden side of the incident.
裏うら 側がわ を 明あき らかにする to reveal what's behind the scenes
The documentary revealed the hidden side of politics.
Related words· 6 裏 is the broader, more general word for 'back' or 'reverse', while 裏側 specifically emphasizes the side or facet of something.
背面 is a more technical, formal term for the back surface of an object, while 裏側 is the everyday word and also covers figurative 'hidden' meanings.
舞台裏 literally means 'backstage' and is used only figuratively for hidden circumstances, while 裏側 can describe both a physical back side and figurative hidden aspects.
内幕 refers specifically to secret inside information about an affair, whereas 裏側 more broadly covers any hidden side, physical or figurative.
Show 2 more Show fewer 裏側 is a more colloquial, concrete word for the back of an object, while 裏面 is more formal and can also be used abstractly.
裏側 is a broader, everyday word for 'the other side' of almost anything, while 裏面 specifically refers to the flat reverse side of an object, document, or recording.
Written forms 裏うら 側がわ Usage 94%
Standard kanji spelling. High news frequency.
ウラ 側がわ Usage 3%
うらがわ Usage 2%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the kanji is not needed.
裏うら がわ Usage 1%
うら 側がわ Usage <1%
Etymology Compound of 裏 (ura, 'back, reverse') and 側 (gawa, 'side').
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