背面
bèimiàn
In Chinese, the phrase for the tails side of a coin is 背面 (bèimiàn). Wiktionary also lists 反面 (fǎnmiàn) and 字兒 / 字儿.
Meaning: side of coin (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 背面 | bèimiàn |
| 反面 | fǎnmiàn |
| 字兒 / 字儿 |
Note that if you are referring to 'tails' in the context of aviation or aerodynamics, the specific formal term is 尾翼 (wěi yì).
Which one should you use?
While 背面 (bèimiàn) refers to the tails side, 正面 (zhèngmiàn) refers to the heads side. The term 反面 (fǎnmiàn) is often used to mean the opposite side or the reverse side, such as tails on a coin.
How do you pronounce it?
bèimiàn
Did you know?
- In Chinese, the 'heads' side of a coin is often called 字 (zì) because traditional coins feature characters rather than portraits.
- The character 反 in 反面 is the same character used to describe a 'rebellion' or 'turning against' someone.
- The word 正 in 正面 'heads' also means 'correct' or 'upright', suggesting that the 'heads' side is the primary or 'right' side of the coin.
Examples in context
- 狗的尾巴很长。 (Gǒu de wěi ba hěn cháng.)The dog has a long tail.
- 这架飞机的尾翼设计很独特。 (Zhè jià fēi jī de wěi yì shè jì hěn dú tè.)The design of this airplane's tail is very unique.
- 鱼的尾巴很美丽。 (Yú de wěi ba hěn měi lì.)The fish's tail is beautiful.
- 硬币的背面是花纹。Yìngbì de bèimiàn shì huāwén.The back of the coin has a pattern.
- 这枚硬币正面是字，背面是图案。Zhè méi yìngbì zhèngmiàn shì zì, bèimiàn shì tú'àn.This coin has text on the front and a pattern on the tails.
- 掷硬币时，正面还是背面？Zhì yìngbì shí, zhèngmiàn háishì bèimiàn?When flipping a coin, heads or tails?
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding who goes first in a game.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我们掷硬币决定吧。Wǒmen zhì yìngbì juédìng ba.Let's flip a coin to decide.
- 志强 Zhiqiang好，你是正面还是背面？Hǎo, nǐ shì zhèngmiàn háishì bèimiàn?Okay, are you heads or tails?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我选正面。Wǒ xuǎn zhèngmiàn.I'll take heads.
- 志强 Zhiqiang看来是背面，我赢了。Kànlái shì bèimiàn, wǒ yíng le.Looks like it's tails, I won.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tails” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
