倒置 (dào zhì) — to invert; to place upside down | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal verb meaning 'to invert, place upside down' — typically used in writing, science, or technical contexts, not in casual speech.

verb

to invertto place upside down

Examples

倒置。
Yán jiū rén yuán jiāng yàng běn dào zhì hòu guān chá.
The researchers invert the sample and observe it.
倒置，。
Tā bǎ huà dào zhì le, kàn qǐ lái hěn qí guài.
He inverted the painting, and it looks very strange.
，。
Tā bǎ huā píng dǎo le zhì, shuǐ liú le yí dì.
He turned the vase upside down, and water spilled all over the floor.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

倒dǎoupside down

The upside-down sense of 倒 and the placing sense of 置 give invert or put in reverse.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亻到倒

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rén

Sound part声符shēngfú

到

到dào倒dào

Same sound today

倒 combines 亻 (person) with 到, which gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

罒直置

Meaning part形符xíngfú

罒Written in full as网wǎng

Sound part声符shēngfú

直

直zhí置zhì

Same sound today

置 is built from 罒, a net, on top and 直 below; 直 gives the sound.

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