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Kanji Detail for 反 - "opposite"

反

  • Meaning

    反 means "opposite." Also associated with to return, to rebel.

    1. Return - To go back; to revert.

    2. Opposite - Contrary; reverse.

    3. Rebel - To resist; to oppose.

    4. Reflect - To consider; to think back.

  • Words using 反

    • 反対 はんたい Listen opposition; resistance; antagonism
    • 違反 いはん Listen violation; offense; offence
    • 反応 はんのう Listen reaction; response; physical reaction (to a stimulus)
    • 反省 はんせい Listen reflection; reconsideration; introspection
    • 反撃 はんげき Listen counterattack; counteroffensive; counterblow
    • 反響 はんきょう Listen echo; reverberation; response
    • 反乱 はんらん Listen insurrection; mutiny; rebellion
    • 反戦 はんせん Listen anti-war

  • Four-character idioms with 反

    • 二律背反 にりつはいはん Listen antinomy; self-contradiction; either-or situation
    • 反面教師 はんめんきょうし Listen bad example from which one can learn; good example of what not to do (esp. how not to behave); negative example
    • 条件反射 じょうけんはんしゃ Listen conditioned reflex
    • 連鎖反応 れんさはんのう Listen chain reaction; nuclear chain reaction
    • 反目嫉視 はんもくしっし Listen jealousy and enmity; being jealous of and at odds with (each other)
    • 反間苦肉 はんかんくにく Listen stratagem for causing a rift in the enemy camp by using a seditious plot

  • Tattoo check: 反

    • Verified meaning: opposite
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read そり)
    • Also carries these associations: to return, to rebel

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 反

    Surnames 反(そり)Listen

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    anti-

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    reverse, opposite, contrary, anti

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    contrary; in reverse; inside out or upside down; to reverse; to return; to oppose; opposite; against; anti-; to rebel; to use analogy; instead; abbr. for 反切[fan3 qie4] phonetic system

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    reverse, opposite; contrary, anti-

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    Opposite of 正 (straight). The other side of the front is called 反. | To return. Returning something to someone is called 反. Going and then returning is also called 反, also written as 返. Also, restoring things to their original state. Such as 報本反始. | To reflect. (Analects) "Raise one corner, and if they cannot respond with the other three." Also, self-examination is called 自反. | To turn. Such as 反手, 反覆. Interchangeable with 翻. | To betray. Such as 謀反. All going against is called 反. Such as 反對 (oppose). | To overturn a verdict. Such as rectifying unjust cases is called 平反.

  • Onyomi

    tip

    han(ハン) ハン

    ho(ホ) ホ

    hon(ホン) ホン

    tan(タン) タン

  • Kunyomi

    tip

    ka.eru(か-える) か-える

    kae.su(かえ-す) かえ-す

    so.rasu(そ-らす) そ-らす

    so.ru(そ-る) そ-る

  • Strokes

    tip

    4 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    又 (mata)

  • Related Keywords

    to return opposite to rebel reflect anti against back contradict contrary counter defy negate oppose protest resist reverse revert challenge confront

Sentences including 反

  • I supported her even against my father.

  • He is neither for nor against the plan.

  • He opposed the plan to the last.

  • I'm against the bill.

  • The very opposite is the truth.

  • The committee are all against it.

  • What you did is against the rules.

  • I did it against my will.

  • She reflected on what she had done.

  • Are you for or against my plan?

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

More kanji with the radical 又 (mata)

See all kanji with this radical →

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