背もたれ（せもたれ、semotare）
- backrest

The Japanese word 背もたれ 背もたれ means "backrest" or "the part of a chair or seat that supports your back." It refers to the vertical part of a chair, sofa, bench, or other seating that you lean against.

⚫︎その椅子の背もたれは高くて快適です。 Translation: The backrest of that chair is high and comfortable. ⚫︎背もたれのない椅子は、長時間座るには不向きです。 Translation: A chair without a backrest is not suitable for sitting for a long time.

You use 背もたれ 背もたれ when talking about the back support of a seat. It's used in various contexts, from describing furniture to discussing comfort and design. You can use it in both formal and informal situations.

背もたれ 背もたれ is typically written in hiragana. The kanji form, 背凭れ or 背凭, exists but is less common. The okurigana (送りがな) "れ" is always used.

There are no direct synonyms, but related words might include: ⚫︎ 椅子 (いす) - chair ⚫︎ ソファ - sofa ⚫︎ 座席 (ざせき) - seat

There aren't direct antonyms, but you could describe a seat without a backrest: ⚫︎ 背もたれのない椅子 - A chair without a backrest.

この車のシートの背もたれは角度を調整できます。 ・Translation: The backrest of this car seat can be adjusted. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the function of adjusting the angle of the backrest of a car seat.

背もたれにもたれて、ゆっくり休んでください。 ・Translation: Lean back on the backrest and relax. ・Explanation: This sentence encourages someone to relax by leaning back on the backrest.

The word 背もたれ 背もたれ is a compound word. 背 (せ) means "back" (as in the human body). もたれ (motare) comes from the verb 凭れる (もたれる, motareru), meaning "to lean against" or "to rest against." Therefore, 背もたれ literally means "to lean against the back."