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逆转 (nì zhuǎn) — to reverse (a negative trend, often with a positive outcome); to take a turn for the worse, to deteriorate

Definition

逆转 covers two opposing senses: 'to reverse (a negative trend into a positive one)' and 'to take a turn for the worse.' Context and tone disambiguate — a positive outcome signals the first; words like 病情恶化 or 形势 point to the second.

verb
to reverse (a negative trend, often with a positive outcome)to take a turn for the worseto deteriorate

Examples

  • ，逆转。
    Zài bǐ sài de zuì hòu jǐ fēn zhōng, tā men chéng gōng nì zhuǎn le bǐ fēn.
    In the final minutes of the game, they successfully reversed the score.
  • 逆转，。
    Jīng jì xíng shì kāi shǐ nì zhuǎn, dà jiā dōu hěn dān xīn.
    The economic situation began to deteriorate, and everyone was worried.
  • ，逆转。
    Gǎn xiè yī shēng de nǔ lì, tā de bìng qíng zhōng yú nì zhuǎn le.
    Thanks to the doctor's efforts, his condition finally reversed.

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.

逆nìreverse
转zhuǎnturn

逆转 combines 逆 (reverse) with 转 (turn), giving a turn in the opposite direction.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 辶辵chuòmovement
  • 屰屰nìgo against

The 辶 part shows movement, and 屰 gives the sound and the sense of going against, so the whole depicts moving in the opposite direction.

Open 逆 →

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.

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.

Open 转 →
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