‘背锅’ (bēi guō) literally means ‘to carry a pot,’ but as slang it figuratively means ‘to take the blame for something one didn’t do.’ The character 背 (bēi) means ‘to carry on one’s back,’ suggesting burden or responsibility, while 锅 (guō) — a cooking pot — has no literal connection to blame; its use here is purely idiomatic and humorous. Over time, ‘pot’ became a metaphor for ‘blame’ or ‘fault,’ likely because blaming someone is like dumping a heavy, hot pot onto their shoulders.

This expression is informal and widely used in spoken Mandarin, especially among young people online and in workplaces. It implies unfairness — the person taking the blame is usually innocent, scapegoated, or pressured into accepting responsibility. It often carries irony or frustration, and is rarely used in formal writing or official contexts.