To put something on one's head; to wear (a hat, hood, crown, etc.).
毎朝、帽子を被って学校へ行きます。
I put on my hat every morning and go to school.
式典で彼は王冠を被った。
He wore a crown at the ceremony.
風が強いからフードを被ったほうがいいよ。
It's windy, so you'd better pull your hood on.
To be covered with (snow, dust, mud, etc.) or to be doused/splashed with a liquid/substance.
山は昨夜の雪で白く被っている。
The mountain is covered in snow from last night.
作業中に塗料が服に被ってしまった。
Paint splashed onto my clothes while I was working.
車が泥に被っていて、洗わないと分からないほどだ。
The car is covered in mud — you can't even tell what color it is until you wash it.
To bear or take on (someone's debts, blame, responsibility); to shoulder a burden.
部長が会社の不祥事の責任を被った。
The manager took responsibility for the company's scandal.
私はその失敗の罪を被るつもりはない。
I don't intend to take the blame for that failure.
彼は同僚のミスを被って昇進した。
He ended up taking the blame for a colleague's mistake and was promoted.
To overlap (e.g., sounds, colors, roles); to coincide or occur at the same time causing overlap.
二人の声が同時に出て音が被って聞こえた。
Their voices came out at the same time and overlapped, making it hard to hear.
このシャツとそのジャケットは色が被っているから、別の色にしよう。
Those shirt and jacket colors overlap, so let's pick a different color.
To be similar or redundant; to duplicate in function or role.
二つの部署の仕事が被っているので、どちらかを整理したほうがいい。
The work of the two departments overlaps, so one should be reorganized.
その二つの表現は意味が被っていて、どちらを使っても同じだ。
Those two expressions are similar in meaning; either can be used.
To be fogged (of film or photographic material) — an overexposure or chemical fog causing loss of contrast.
古いネガは保管状態が悪くて被ってしまった。
The old negatives got fogged because they were stored poorly.
Archaic: (of a play) to close or come to an end.
記録によれば、その興行は三日目に被ってしまった（古記録の表現）。
According to records, that show closed on the third day (archaic expression).
Archaic: (of a performance) to be a full house; to sell out.
当時の新聞には『夜の座は被り』とあり、満員になったことを伝えている（古表現）。
The contemporary newspaper wrote that the evening performance was 'kaburi', indicating it was sold out (archaic usage).
Archaic: to blunder or bungle (an old usage).
古文には、役者が毛氈を被る（失敗する）という表現が見られる。
In old texts you can find the phrase that an actor 'kaburi' the felt rug, meaning he blundered.
Archaic: to be deceived (old usage).
古記録では、無知な者が人に被り金を失ったと書かれている（古語的表現）。
Old records state that the ignorant man was 'kaburi' by someone and lost his money (archaic phrasing).