翻身
fānshēn
The English phrase "roll over" is translated into Chinese as 翻身 (fānshēn).
翻身 is used to describe the physical act of a person turning over in bed or changing position while lying down.
Meaning: to make a rolling motion or turn (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 翻 (fān), meaning 'to flip' or 'to turn over' and 身 (shēn), meaning 'body'. Literally, it means 'to turn the body'.
Which one should you use?
The informal, playful phrase 滚来滚去 (gǔn lái gǔn qù) is used to describe rolling back and forth.
How do you pronounce it?
fānshēn
Did you know?
- The character 翻 is also used in the word for 'translate' 翻译 (fānyì), reflecting the idea of 'flipping' a meaning from one language to another.
- Beyond physical movement, 翻身 is frequently used metaphorically to describe a 'turnaround' in fortune, such as a business recovering from bankruptcy or a person rising from poverty.
- While 翻身 describes a single turn, the phrase 滚来滚去 uses the word 滚 (gǔn), which is also the standard command used to tell a dog to 'roll over' or a person to 'get out'.
Examples in context
- 他躺在床上，翻滚了几次。He was lying in bed, rolling over a few times.
- 小孩子在草地上打滚。The child is rolling over on the grass.
- 他在床上翻身了。Tā zài chuáng shàng fānshēn le.He rolled over in bed.
- 猫咪在地上翻身。Māomī zài dìshàng fānshēn.The kitten rolls over on the ground.
Example conversation
Two people are talking about a baby's progress.
- 俊杰 Junjie你看，宝宝在翻身！Nǐ kàn, bǎobao zài fānshēn!Look, the baby is rolling over!
- 雨婷 Yuting天哪，他终于学会了。Tiān na, tā zhōngyú xuéhuì le.Oh my goodness, he finally learned it.
- 俊杰 Junjie他翻身的速度很快。Tā fānshēn de sùdù hěn kuài.He rolls over very quickly.
- 雨婷 Yuting他长大了，太可爱了。Tā zhǎngdà le, tài kě'ài le.He is growing up, it's so cute.
