背表紙(せびょうし)

せびょうし
noun
book spine
1. book spine; spine of a book
The narrow side of a book visible when it is shelved, typically displaying the title, author, and publisher.
背表紙(せびょうし)のタイトルが読(よ)みにくい。
The title on the spine is hard to read.
本棚(ほんだな)の背表紙(せびょうし)を眺(なが)めるのが好(す)きだ。
I like looking at the spines of books on the bookshelf.
古(ふる)い本(ほん)は背表紙(せびょうし)が日焼(ひや)けして色(いろ)あせている。
The spines of old books have faded from sun exposure.

Forms

背(せ) (back) + 表紙(ひょうし) (cover). Note the reading change: 表紙(ひょうし) becomes びょうし in this compound due to rendaku (sequential voicing).

Usage

In Japanese bookbinding, text on the spine traditionally reads from top to bottom. This is relevant when shelving books, as the text orientation differs from Western books.

Similar words

Related Words

Related: 表紙(ひょうし) (front cover)
Compare: 裏表紙(うらびょうし) (back cover)
general
Added 2026.3.8 15:47 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
15500/15671_sebyoushi