Learn Chinese Characters

Meaning

wrong side out or up; anti-

Chinese: 相反、返回或反对。

Hear the Four Tones

The same syllable “fan” becomes a different word in each tone. 反 is the 3rd tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.

Stroke Order

Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.

Common Words

  • 反应fǎn yìngto react; to respond; reaction; response
  • 反对fǎn duìto oppose; to be against; to object to
  • 反正fǎn zhènganyway; in any case; to come over from the enemy's side
  • 反复fǎn fùrepeatedly; over and over; to upend; unstable
  • 相反xiāng fǎnopposite; contrary

Example Sentence

这两个词的意思正好相反。Zhè liǎng ge cí de yì si zhèng hǎo xiāng fǎn.The meanings of these two words are exactly opposite.

Zhèthisliǎngtwoge(measure word)worddeof意思yì siidea正好zhèng hǎojust (in time)相反xiāng fǎnopposite

Go deeper

Where this character comes from

A hand (又) under a slope (厂), turning something over: ‘to turn over, reverse; opposite; anti-, counter-; to rebel; on the contrary’ (反对, 相反, 反而).

A way to remember it

A hand flipping things over — opposite, anti-, on the contrary.