Chinese word

反

Pronunciation

Pinyinfǎn

Meaning

  • adjectivereverse

Example

方向反了，我们迷路了。fāng xiàng fǎn le wǒ men mí lù le

The direction was reversed, and we got lost.

Illustration for 反 (reverse)

More examples

他的观点和我的完全相反。tā de guān diǎn hé wǒ de wán quán xiāng fǎn

His opinion is completely opposite to mine.

Core concept

A direction, quality, or viewpoint that turns away from another and stands against it.

Common phrases

  • 相反xiāng fǎn

    opposite

Similar words

相反xiāng fǎn: Completely opposite in nature, direction, outcome, or opinion.
相对xiāng duì: Shown in relation to another as different in condition or degree.

Definition in Chinese

表示与另一事物在方向、性质或观点上相对或对立，作形容词表示“与…相反”的状态。biǎo shì yǔ lìng yí shì wù zài fāng xiàng xìng zhì huò guān diǎn shàng xiàng duì huò duì lì zuò xíng róng cí biǎo shì yǔ xiāng fǎn de zhuàng tài

Word origin

反 (fǎn, "reverse") originally described turning back or being overturned, and this physical sense extended to anything that runs in the opposite direction or conflicts with another view.

Usage tips

  • English often chooses different words for a reversed direction and an opposing view, while Chinese can use this same adjective in both settings and rely on context for the precise English choice.

Other meanings

  • oppositeadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word