软背脊

軟背脊

ruǎnbèijǐ

idiom

Meanings

1 a spineless person, someone without firm convictions
2 weak-willed and easily swayed

Characters

Examples

当领导不能是软背脊，否则下面人就不服。

Dāng lǐngdǎo bù néng shì ruǎnbèijǐ, fǒuzé xiàmiàn rén jiù bù fú.

A leader can't be spineless; otherwise the team won't respect him.

面对诱惑，他一下子成了软背脊。

Miànduì yòuhuò, tā yīxiàzi chéngle ruǎnbèijǐ.

Faced with temptation, he turned into a pushover in an instant.

Tips

memory

Parallels English 'spineless' exactly: 背脊 is the backbone, and a 'soft backbone' = someone who can't stand firm. Easier to remember than the more common 没骨气.

Stroke Order

软 ruǎn

背 bēi

脊 jǐ