翻 (fān) - To turn over & to flip

翻Tone 1

fān ｜ 18 strokes ｜ radical:

恩丰

翻 · fān

To turn over;

to flip;

to translate;

to cross over;

to reverse;

to search;

to reproduce.

To turn overto flipto translate

Usage highlights

To translateTo turn overTo overturnTo rummage throughTo reproduceTo turn a new leaf

Synonyms

  • 转— to turn, to rotate
  • 译— to translate

Antonyms

  • 正— upright, correct (antonym to 'overturned')
  • 定— stable, fixed (antonym to 'changeable')

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Please turn the page (翻页).
  • He is translating a book (翻译一本书).
  • The car overturned in the accident (翻车).
  • She is looking through her bag (翻包).

Collocations

  • To translate(翻译)
  • To turn over(翻身)
  • To overturn(翻车)
  • To rummage through(翻找)
  • To reproduce(翻印)
  • To turn a new leaf(翻新)

Idioms

  • To turn palms and clouds (翻云覆雨) — to be fickle and manipulative
  • To overturn heaven and earth (翻天覆地) — world-shaking, earth-shattering
  • To overturn a boat in a gutter (阴沟里翻船) — to suffer an unexpected setback in a simple matter
  • Old tune replayed (老调重弹 / 旧调重翻) — to harp on the same old tune

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character is strongly associated with the concept of change, reversal, and transformation.
  • It is central to the act of translation (翻译), linking cultures through language.
  • In idioms, it often conveys dramatic, large-scale, or unexpected change.

FAQ