From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
IPA (key ) : /bɪˈhaɪnd ðə siːnz/ , /bəˈhaɪnd ðə siːnz/ Prepositional phrase [ edit ] behind the scenes
( idiomatic , theater , film ) scenery and stage area; backstage ; among the actors ; during the production or rehearsal
Many videos come with features that show what went on behind the scenes to make the movie and special effects.
1890 The Golden Bough , volume 2, page 134 :The men who stood behind the scenes and worked the religious puppet-show by hidden wires to the awe and astonishment of the gaping vulgar.
( idiomatic , figurative ) In secret ; out of public view .
The government has been negotiating behind the scenes with the separatists for months.
2013 The Boy Orator: A Novel , →ISBN He was more comfortable behind the scenes , he admitted, writing articles, drafting speeches for others. “I don't really have what it takes to be a hand-shaker or a baby-kisser,” he said.
2025 May 21, Ezra Klein , quoting Jake Tapper , “How Groupthink Protected Biden and Re-elected Trump”, in The New York Times [1] →ISSN They told me it was because they knew the Hur report was about to drop. And they knew it would have all this stuff about classified information and about him seeming superold and addled behind the scenes .
in secret; out of public view
Arabic: مِن وَرَاءَ السِّتارِ ( min warāʔa s-sitāri ) , وَرَاءَ الكَوالِيسِ ( warāʔa l-kawālīsi )
Belarusian: за кулі́самі ( za kulísami ) ( also of theatre ) , за ка́драм ( za kádram ) ( also of movies )
Bulgarian: зад кули́сите ( zad kulísite )
Catalan: entre bastidors
Chinese:
Mandarin: 幕後 / 幕后 (zh) ( mùhòu )
Czech: v zákulisí (cs)
Danish: bag kulisserne
Dutch: achter de schermen (nl) , achter de coulissen
Estonian: kulisside taga tagaplaanil
Faroese: í loynd í loyndum í duldum í duld
Finnish: kulissien takana kulisseissa
French: en coulisse (fr) , de l'autre côté du décor dans les coulisses (fr)
Georgian: კულისებს მიღმა ( ḳulisebs miɣma )
German: hinter den Kulissen (de)
Hebrew: מְאֲחוֹרֵי הַפַּרְגּוֹד ( me'akhoréi ha-pargód ) , מְאֲחוֹרֵי הַקְּלָעִים ( me'akhoréi ha-kla'ím )
Hungarian: a kulisszák mögött (hu) , a színfalak mögött
Italian: ( also of theatre and movies ) dietro le quinte
Japanese: 舞台裏 (ja) ( ぶたいうら, butaiura )
Kazakh: астыртын ( astyrtyn ) , жасырын ( jasyryn )
Korean: 막후(幕後) ( makhu )
Macedonian: зад кулоа́рите ( zad kuloárite )
Norwegian:
Bokmål: bak kulissene
Polish: za kulisami
Portuguese: nos bastidores (pt) , por detrás dos bastidores (pt) , por baixo dos panos
Russian: за кули́сами ( za kulísami ) ( also of theatre ) , за ка́дром (ru) ( za kádrom ) ( also of movies ) , в кулуа́рах ( v kuluárax ) ( on the sidelines )
Sanskrit: नेपथ्ये ( nepathye )
Slovak: v zákulisí
Spanish: detrás del telón entre bastidores tras bambalinas
Swedish: bakom kulisserna (sv)
Telugu: తెరవెనుక ( teravenuka )
Turkish: kafes ardından kulis arkasında
Ukrainian: за кулі́сами ( za kulísamy ) ( also of theatre ) , за лашту́нками ( za laštúnkamy ) , за ка́дром ( za kádrom ) ( also of movies )
Yiddish: הינטער די קוליסן ( hinter di kulisn )
behind the scenes not comparable )
Being or working out in secret or out of public view .
Divulging or reporting hidden workings. 
