倒转 (dào zhuǎn) — to reverse (direction, order); to go against (r… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

倒转 means to reverse direction or order (physical movement, a sequence, or a process). It also takes a figurative sense ('go against common sense') — closer to 颠倒 than to 改变, which means simply 'to change'.

verb

to reverse (direction, order)to go against (reason, common sense)

Examples

倒转。
Qì chē dào zhuǎn le fāng xiàng.
The car reversed direction.
倒转。
Tā de zuò fǎ dào zhuǎn le cháng shí.
His approach goes against common sense.
倒转。
Qǐng nǐ bǎ zhè duàn huà dào zhuǎn guò lái dú.
Please read this paragraph backwards.

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dǎoreverse

倒 gives a reverse direction to 转, so the word means to turn around or 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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 轉; 转 is its simplified writing.

車專轉

Meaning part形符xíngfú

車車jūcarriage

Sound part声符shēngfú

專

專zhuān轉zhuǎn

Same sound today

The traditional form 轉 combines 車, a carriage, with 專 as a sound part; the simplified 转 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

Change & Process

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