Meanings Jump to a sense… 1. opposite side; reverse side; underside 2. rear; back; behind 3. lining; inside 4. hidden side; behind the scenes; unknown circumstances 5. proof; supporting evidence 6. opposite; contrary; inverse 7. bottom of an inning; last half of an inning Usage patterns 〈 物もの 〉 の 裏うら に 書か く to write on the back of something
I wrote the phone number on the back of the paper.
〈 場ば 所しょ 〉 の 裏うら に 回まわ る to go around to the back of a place
I went around to the back of the shop to put out the trash.
裏うら で 〈 事こと 〉 が 行おこな われる for something to take place behind the scenes
A secret deal was being made behind the scenes.
〈 事こと 〉 の 裏うら を 読よ む to read the hidden meaning behind something
Reading between the lines of his words, he actually seems opposed.
〈 数かず 〉 回かい の 裏うら the bottom half of the Nth inning
A go-ahead home run came in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Expressions· 11 裏うら かく pierce through; run through 裏うら がある have a hidden side; have an ulterior motive; be more than meets the eye 裏うら をかく outwit; outsmart; turn the tables on · pierce through; penetrate completely 裏うら を 取と る verify; confirm; check the facts Show 3 more Show fewer 裏うら を 返かえ す turn inside out; turn over; flip · look at from another angle; put it the other way · visit the same prostitute or geisha again 裏うら を 返かえ せば look at it from another perspective; put it the other way round 足あし の 裏うら の 米こめ 粒つぶ pointless degree; meaningless qualification; useless license See all 11 in Explore →
Related words· 9 逆 is the general word for 'opposite' or 'reverse' in logic or direction, while 裏 in this sense specifically suggests an unexpected or hidden reversal, as in 裏をかく .
背後 is a more formal word for the space directly behind someone or something, while 裏 is the everyday word for the back or rear side.
内幕 specifically means the hidden inside story of scandals or secret dealings, while 裏 more broadly covers anything not openly shown.
内側 refers to any inner surface or interior side, while 裏 in this sense specifically means the lining or inside layer of clothing or containers.
Show 5 more Show fewer 裏 is a general word for the reverse or hidden side of anything, while 背 is limited to specific back or rear parts such as 椅子の背 or 本の背 .
裏 is the broader, more general word for 'back' or 'reverse', while 裏側 specifically emphasizes the side or facet of something.
裏 refers to the reverse or hidden side of things (often used for secret dealings), while 陰 stresses being out of sight or unseen influence.
裏 refers to the back side or reverse of something (often hidden from view), whereas 奥 is about depth and interiority rather than being on the opposite side.
裏 is the general word for the 'back/reverse side' of anything, while 裏目 is a narrower term often tied to specific contexts like knitting or the idiom 裏目に出る .
Opposites surface; face; visible side · front; obverse · outside; exterior · appearance; outward look · public; in public · top of the inning; first half · cover; facing · foreground · Omotesenke school
裏 means the back or reverse side of something, the direct opposite of 面 （おもて ）'s front or top surface.
Don't confuse with 里 (meaning 'village' or 'hometown') is visually similar to 裏 but has an entirely unrelated meaning, so learners sometimes mix up the two kanji.
裏 (うら ) sounds identical to 浦 but means the back or reverse side of something, with no connection to the coast.
裏 means the reverse or hidden side of something, whereas 後ろ is simply the back side in a spatial, positional sense.
Word family· 138 betray; double-cross; be unfaithful to · disappoint; let down; fail to meet expectations
reverse side; back; other side; behind the scenes
betrayal; treachery
back; reverse side · B-side; flip side · secret levels; hidden content; post-game
supporting evidence; backing; proof
Show 25 more Show fewer inside out; upside down · flip side; opposite; reverse
opposite; contrary; reverse · front and back; back to back; inseparable
front and back; inside and outside; both sides · inside out; wrong side out · two-facedness; double-dealing; duplicity · public face and hidden reality; outward appearance and actual condition; inner workings
backstage; behind the scenes
hill behind a house or village · shady side of a mountain · envious; jealous
behind-the-scenes worker; backstage crew; offstage support · lady consort; concubine of a noble
attic; loft
support; back up; substantiate; corroborate
inside story; behind-the-scenes account
back door; rear entrance · backdoor; illicit; unauthorized
reverse side; back · opposite of the expected; backfire · purl stitch
back; rear; behind
lining · landlocked parcel; land without road access
backyard; rear garden
bribe; payoff · secret fund; slush fund; money for bribery
lining; backing · support; backing up; bolstering
back street; side street; alley
back lane; back street; byway · unfair means; dishonest means; underhanded way
be turned inside out; be reversed · betray; double-cross; turn one's coat · crack into falsetto; squeak; croak
falsetto
turn inside out; turn over; flip
back gate; rear gate
competing program in the same timeslot; counterprogram
Urasenke school of tea ceremony
dressing room; green room; backstage · inside story; behind-the-scenes details; hidden circumstances
See all 138 in Explore →
Written forms 裏うら Usage 92%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
ウラ Usage 7%
うら Usage 1%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing, especially for abstract senses.
Etymology Native Japanese word. The kanji 裏 combines 衣 (clothing) and 里 (village), suggesting the inner or hidden side of clothing, extended to abstract hidden aspects.
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