Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 反 | fǎn |
| 顛倒 / 颠倒 | diāndăo |
| 倒 | dăo |
These words are used to describe objects that are inverted or oriented incorrectly. While they all relate to being upside down, they have different nuances: 反 is used when something is oriented the wrong way, 倒 emphasizes vertical inversion and 顛倒 / 颠倒 can be used metaphorically to describe a confusion of concepts, such as confusing right and wrong.
Which one should you use?
Use 反 when something is oriented incorrectly, such as a shirt being worn inside out or a picture being hung upside down. Use 倒 specifically to emphasize the vertical inversion where the top of an object is at the bottom. Use 顛倒 / 颠倒 when you want to express the idea of turning something upside down or, more abstractly, to describe the confusion of concepts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing that an object has been placed or hung upside down, you can add the aspect particle 了 (le) after 反 or 倒 to form 反了 or 倒了.
How do you pronounce it?
fǎn
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, certain auspicious symbols are sometimes intentionally placed 倒 (upside down) to signal a specific wish, such as 'good luck arriving'.
- The character 反 shares an ancient root with words meaning 'to trade' or 'to exchange', suggesting that 'returning' an item or 'flipping' it back to a seller is conceptually linked.
- The word 倒 can change its pronunciation from 'dǎo' to 'dào' depending on whether it describes the state of falling over or the act of inverting something.
Examples in context
- 她把画挂反了。She hung the picture upside down.This sentence shows how to use 反 to describe a picture being hung the wrong way.Tatoeba #405752 by fucongcong, translation #311171 by CK
- 你把书拿反了，这是反面，这才是正面。You're holding the book upside-down. This is upside-down and this is right-side up.This sentence uses 反 to explain that a book is being held the wrong way by distinguishing the back from the front.Tatoeba #3060463 by trieuho, translation #3060464 by trieuho
- 他實在有點不能相信，堂堂一個大畫家的傑作，居然會被上下倒轉地掛在牆上。He was surprised to find the great artist's masterpiece hung on the wall upside down.This sentence uses 倒 to describe a masterpiece being hung on a wall upside down.Tatoeba #522202 by nickyeow, translation #49668 by CM
- 他在天花板上倒立。He is upside down on the ceiling.
- 笔记本倒过来放。Put the notebook upside down.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
志强正在整理书架，但他把一本书拿反了。
- 志强 Zhiqiang这本杂志怎么拿反了？Zhè běn zázhì zěnme ná fǎn le?Why is this magazine held upside down?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen对不起，我拿反了。Duìbuqǐ, wǒ ná fǎn le.Sorry, I have it upside down.
- 志强 Zhiqiang没关系，把它转过来就行。Méi guānxi, bǎ tā zhuǎn guòlái jiù xíng.It's okay, just turn it around.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好的，现在是对的了。Hǎo de, xiànzài shì duì de le.Okay, it's right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “upside down” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 倒, 反, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
