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Meaning Index

Chinese characters meaning "to oppose"

Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to oppose", including 对 (duì), 逆 (nì). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…

How to Study This Meaning Group

The English word "to oppose" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 对 (duì), 逆 (nì) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span duì, nì — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 对 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.

  • 对 duìcouple; pair; to be opposite; to oppose; to face; forUseful words: 对不起, 不对
  • 逆 nìcontrary; opposite; backwards; to go against; to oppose; to betrayUseful words: 叛逆, 可逆

Common words for these 2 "to oppose" characters

Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 对 (duì) — so "to oppose" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.

See each character in a sentence

Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "to oppose".

duì — couple; pair; to be opposite; to oppose; to face; for

你说得很对。Nǐ shuō de hěn duì.What you said is very correct.

Common words: 对不起 (duì bu qǐ)、不对 (bù duì)、对话 (duì huà)

— contrary; opposite; backwards; to go against; to oppose; to betray

小船逆着水流,慢慢向上游驶去。Xiǎo chuán nì zhe shuǐ liú, màn màn xiàng shàng yóu shǐ qù.The boat went against the current, slowly heading upstream.

Common words: 叛逆 (pàn nì)、可逆 (kě nì)、逆子 (nì zǐ)

All 2 characters

Open 对、逆 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.