Chinese word

扭转

Pronunciation

Pinyinniǔ zhuǎn

Meaning

  • verbturn around

Example

这场比赛还能扭转吗？zhè chǎng bǐ sài hái néng niú zhuǎn ma

Can this game still be turned around?

Illustration for 扭转 (turn around)

More examples

改革措施有可能扭转经济下行的趋势。gǎi gé cuò shī yǒu kě néng niú zhuǎn jīng jì xià xíng de qū shì

Reform measures may reverse the downward trend in the economy.

Core concept

An active change of direction that moves a situation from its current course to a better one.

Common phrases

  • 扭转局势niú zhuǎn jú shì

    turn the situation around

  • 扭转败局niú zhuǎn bài jú

    turn a losing situation around

  • 扭转趋势niú zhuǎn qū shì

    reverse a trend

Similar words

改变gǎi biàn: Changing the state, nature, or quality of something.
转变zhuǎn biàn: Changing into a different state, stage, or form.
逆转nì zhuǎn: Turning an established course or outcome in the opposite direction.

Definition in Chinese

把原本不利或平稳的状态经过改变或努力，使之出现相反或更有利的局面。bǎ yuán běn bú lì huò píng wěn de zhuàng tài jīng guò gǎi biàn huò nǔ lì shǐ zhī chū xiàn xiāng fǎn huò gèng yǒu lì de jú miàn

Word origin

扭 (niǔ, "twist") + 转 (zhuǎn, "turn") links twisting with turning and frames improvement as a redirection rather than a completely new beginning.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this verb is most natural when the object is an unfolding situation or trend, while a simple physical twist usually calls for a different verb.

Other meanings

  • improveverb
  • recoververb
  • twistverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word