Definition & Meaning

1.be somebody's scapegoat; take the blame for somebody else

2.someone who holds another person falling from a higher place

Word usage

diàn bèi

垫 背

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Chinese dictionary
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1
v.dialmetabe somebody's scapegoat; take the blame for somebody else
- wǒ kě bù xiǎng gěi tā rén diàn bèi
  我可不想给他人垫背。
  I certainly do not want to bear the blame for others.
- tā men xiǎng jiào wǒ rù huǒ yī dàn chū le luàn zi hǎo ràng wǒ gěi tā men diàn bèi
  他们想叫我入伙，一旦出了乱子，好让我给他们垫背。
  They ask me to join the party so that I'll be their scapegoat when trouble comes.
synonym
dǐng gāng顶缸
2
n.someone who holds another person falling from a higher place
- bié xiǎng ná tā zuò diàn bèi
  别想拿她做垫背。
  Don't expect to make her a scapegoat.
- rú guǒ nǐ bù néng cǎi zhe bié rén jiān bǎng jiù zhǐ néng zuò tā rén diàn bèi
  如果你不能踩着别人肩膀，就只能做他人垫背。
  If you can't step on others, then you can only do others scapegoat.

Word usage

Separable word
"垫" and "背" can be combined as one word, or be used separately with other elements inserted.
- 我被人拉着垫了背。
  I was made a scapegoat.
- 你已经帮他垫过多少次背了？
  How many times have you suffered for his faults?
- 谁帮他垫的背？
  Who was his scapegoat?

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