背そむく

そ

む

く

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

背く · godan verb (-ku)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	背そむく	背そむかない
Polite	背そむきます	背そむきません
Past polite	背そむきました	背そむきませんでした
Past	背そむいた	背そむかなかった
Te-form	背そむいて	背そむかないで
Desire	背そむきたい	背そむきたくない
Potential	背そむける	背そむけない
Passive	背そむかれる	背そむかれない
Causative	背そむかせる	背そむかせない
Causative passive	背そむかせられるalso 背そむかされる	背そむかせられないalso 背そむかされない
Volitional	背そむこう
Polite volitional	背そむきましょう
Imperative	背そむけ	背そむくな
Conditional	背そむけば	背そむかなければ
Tara conditional	背そむいたら	背そむかなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-ku), intransitive verb

go against; disobey; betray; run counter to

Used for violating rules, expectations, trust, or one's own conscience. Often implies a deliberate turning away from something one should follow.

彼かれは親おやの期き待たいに背そむいて、芸げい術じゅつの道みちに進すすんだ。
He went against his parents' expectations and pursued a career in art.
法ほう律りつに背そむく行こう為いは許ゆるされない。
Acts that go against the law are not permitted.
信しん頼らいに背そむくようなことはしたくない。
I don't want to do anything that would betray trust.

See all 42 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

命めい令れいに背そむくto disobey an order
彼かれは上じょう官かんの命めい令れいに背そむいた。
He disobeyed his superior officer's order.
期き待たいに背そむくto betray someone's expectations
彼かの女じょは両りょう親しんの期き待たいに背そむいて、画が家かになった。
She defied her parents' expectations and became a painter.
良りょう心しんに背そむくto go against one's conscience
彼かれはその仕し事ごとが良りょう心しんに背そむくと感かんじた。
He felt that the job went against his conscience.
規き則そくに背そむくto violate a rule
生せい徒とたちは学がっ校こうの規き則そくに背そむいた。
The students violated the school rules.

Expressions

約やく束そくに背そむくbreak a promise; go back on one's word
人ひとたる道みちに背そむくstray from the path of righteousness

Kanji

背stature, height, back
叛disobey, defy, go back on

Related words

逆さからうN3
逆らう emphasizes directly resisting a person, force, or flow, while 背く focuses on turning away from an obligation, rule, or trust.
反はんするN1
反する is a more formal, abstract term for being contrary to a principle or prediction, whereas 背く often carries a stronger sense of personal betrayal.
裏うら切ぎるN3
裏切る specifically means to betray a person's trust, while 背く is broader and also covers violating rules or one's own conscience.
違い反はんN3
違反する is used specifically for violating laws or regulations, while 背く can also describe betraying trust or one's conscience in a broader sense.

Opposites

従したがうN3
従う means to obey or follow, the direct opposite of 背く, which means to disobey or go against something.

Don't confuse with

背そむける
背ける is transitive and means to turn away one's face or eyes, whereas 背く is intransitive and means to go against or disobey (e.g. a rule or person), despite sharing the same kanji.

Written forms

背そむくUsage62%
Standard kanji spelling for turning one's back on, disobeying, or going against expectations.
そむくUsage26%
叛そむくUsage12%
Rare kanji variant emphasizing rebellion or betrayal; not commonly used in modern writing.

Etymology

Derived from 背 (back) + 向く (to face), literally 'to turn one's back toward'. The historical derivation is straightforward; the kanji 背 is used for its meaning of 'back'.