flip, turn over, wave, flutter

About this kanji

The kanji 翻, pronounced as "hon" or "han," primarily means to flip or turn over. It can also convey the idea of fluttering or changing someone's mind. This kanji is often used in verbs and nouns. For example, 翻訳 (ほんやく) means "translation," referring to converting text from one language to another. Another verb, 翻す (ひるがえす), translates to "to turn over." A related verb, 翻る (ひるがえる), means "to flutter," like a flag in the wind. A useful note about 翻 is that it often appears in contexts related to change, whether that's in physical positions or in one's thoughts.

Example sentences

• ページを翻る音が聞こえた。

  I heard the sound of pages turning.

Meanings across languages

English

flip, turn over, wave, flutter, change (mind)

Tiếng Việt

lật, lật ngược, vẫy, vỗ, thay đổi

日本語

翻す, ひっくり返す, 振る, 翻る, 考えを変える

한국어

뒤집다, 전환하다, 흔들다, 펄럭이다, 변화하다

中文

翻转, 翻腾, 挥动, 飘动, 改变

id

membalik, mengubah

th

พลิกกลับ, เปลี่ยนแปลง

es

dar la vuelta, cambiar

fr

retourner, changer

de

umdrehen, wenden

pt

virar, mudar

Common compounds

• 翻訳ほんやくtranslation, deciphering, decoding
• 翻すひるがえすto turn over, to change (one's mind), to reverse (one's decision)
• 翻るひるがえるto flutter (in the wind), to wave, to flap
• 翻案ほんあんadaptation (of a novel, play, etc.)
• 翻意ほんいchanging one's mind
• 翻弄ほんろうhaving at one's mercy, trifling with, toying with
• 翻字ほんじtransliteration
• 翩翻へんぽんfluttering (flag, etc.), flapping, waving

Words using this kanji