This paper aims to analyze the structure and the exact meaning of 慈父見背 appearing in Li Mi(李密)’s “Memorial Expressing My Feelings”(「陳情表」). There is no consensus regarding the structure of 見背 in 慈父見背. This paper explains that the subject of 見背 is the speaker’s father, mother, or parents in most cases. Therefore, 見背 can best be understood as a type of honorific expression. This paper subsequently points out the problems regarding the existing views on the interpretation of 慈父見背. They are either only based on meanings or lack persuasive grammatical analysis. This paper attempts to solve the problem by re-examining the functions and the meanings of 見 and 背, respectively. The idea that 背 is a verb meaning ‘to pass away’ is strengthened via phonological and semantic evidence. 『廣韻』 listed two readings of 背. When used as a noun meaning ‘back,’ 背 is pronounced as a voiceless initial *p-. When used as a verb ‘to die,’ it is pronounced as a voiced initial *b-. 背 as a verb initially meant ‘to turn one’s back on.’ Later, it developed [-concrete] meanings, such as ‘to betray,’ ‘to transgress,’ ‘to abandon,’ and even ‘to pass away,’ via metaphorical extension. It is argued that 見 can best be analyzed as an honorific adverb. This function of 見 derived from its use as a causative verb meaning ‘to show,’ which had a voiced initial. [見 + Vtr] in the [Agent + 見 + Vtr] construction was originally a [verb+object] structure, where a transitive verb (Vtr) was used as the object of 見 via zero-nominalization. Later, [見 + Vtr] was reanalyzed as [adverb+verb] as 見 developed its function as an honorific adverb. 見 delivers the sense of honorification by saying that the subject, a man of high rank, “shows” a particular action or behavior rather than directly addressing he/she did so. Finally, it is pointed out that 躬親撫養 corresponds to 躬見撫養 in some other versions. This paper argues that 躬見撫養 is the original form by Li Mi, while 躬親撫養 is a later corruption. 見 in 躬見撫養 is an honorific expression, just like 見 in 慈父見背. It was a relatively rare usage of 見 from later people’s viewpoint. As a result, 見 was replaced by 親 ‘in person’ with an overt meaning.