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翻天覆地 (fān tiān fù dì) — (idiom) earth-shattering change; complete transformation; upheaval

Definition

An idiom emphasizing the SCALE of a change — 'earth-shattering, world-upending.' Like 惊天动地, it stresses the shock and magnitude of an event, not the resulting disorder (compare 动荡, which describes an ongoing unstable state).

idiom
earth-shattering changecomplete transformationupheaval

Examples

  • ，翻天覆地。
    Guò qù shí nián, zhè lǐ fā shēng le fān tiān fù dì de biàn huà.
    Over the past ten years, earth-shattering changes have taken place here.
  • 翻天覆地。
    Zhè chǎng gǎi gé ràng zhěng gè háng yè fān tiān fù dì.
    This reform turned the entire industry upside down.
  • 翻天覆地。
    Tā de shēng huó jīng lì le fān tiān fù dì de jù biàn.
    His life has undergone a complete transformation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

翻天turn over the sky
翻fānturn over天tiānsky
动宾Verb + object
覆地overturn the earth
覆fùoverturn地dìearth
动宾Verb + object

翻天 and 覆地 are paired: 天 is turned over and 地 is overturned, giving the image of total upheaval.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羽羽yǔwings
Sound part声符shēngfú
番
番fān翻fān
Same sound today

翻 pairs 羽 (wings) with 番, which gives the sound. The shape shows something fluttering.

Open 翻 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
大大dà
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng天tiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The shape comes from a frontal standing man 大 with a head; 天 pairs 大 with 丁 for sound.

Open 天 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
襾襾yà
Sound part声符shēngfú
復
復fù覆fù
Same sound today

覆 pairs 襾, a part connected to the meaning, with 復, which gives the sound.

Open 覆 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Change & ProcessIdioms & Set Phrases

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.