背地里

背地裡

bèidìli

adverb #18,912

Meanings

Literally 'behind the scenes / behind the ground' - doing something where others can't see.

HSK 1

他背地里说了很多坏话。

Tā bèidìli shuō le hěnduō huàihuà.

He said a lot of bad things behind people's backs.

HSK 4

不要背地里议论别人。

Búyào bèidìli yìlùn biérén.

Don't talk about others behind their backs.

usage

背地里 has a negative connotation, implying sneaky or dishonest behavior. Compare with 私下, which is more neutral, meaning 'in private'.

背 bēi

地 dì

里 lǐ