翻 meaning and stroke order
To turn over; to flip over; to overturn
How to write 翻, stroke by stroke
18 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 翻
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to turn over
- to flip over
- to overturn
- to rummage through
- to translate
- to decode
How 翻 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Wings.
羽 gives the meaning and 番 hints at the sound.
Radical: 羽 (feather), shared by 26 characters on this site.
How to remember 翻
翻 (fān) has 羽 (wings) on the right and 番 (fān) on the left for the sound. Picture a bird's wings flapping and flipping over in the air, and you have the idea of turning over.
翻 covers physical flipping, like turning a page or a pancake, and also rummaging and translating. It is very common in 翻译 (fānyì, to translate). Example: 请翻到第十页。(Qǐng fān dào dì shí yè.) Please turn to page ten.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left part as 采 or forget the 田 under it. The left side is 番, which is 釆 on top of 田. Also do not confuse 翻 with 番 on its own. 番 means a turn or a time, as in 三番五次 (sānfān-wǔcì, again and again).
Common words with 翻
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 翻译 | fānyì | to translate; to interpret | HSK 4 |
| 推翻 | tuīfān | to overthrow | HSK 7-9 |
| 翻天覆地 | fāntiān-fùdì | sky and the earth turning upside down (idiom); fig. complete confusion; everything turned | HSK 7-9 |
| 翻来覆去 | fānlái-fùqù | to toss and turn (sleeplessly); again and again | HSK 7-9 |
| 翻番 | fānfān | to double; to increase by a certain number of times | HSK 7-9 |
| 翻过 | fānguò | to turn over; to transform | |
| 翻身 | fānshēn | to turn over (when lying); (fig.) to free oneself | |
| 翻转 | fānzhuǎn | to roll; to turn over | |
| 翻过来 | fānguòlái | to overturn; to turn upside down | |
| 打翻 | dǎfān | to overturn; to overthrow | |
| 翻滚 | fāngǔn | to roll; to boil | |
| 翻新 | fānxīn | to revamp; a face-lift | |
| 天翻地覆 | tiānfāndìfù | sky and the earth turning upside down (idiom); fig. complete confusion; everything turned | |
| 翻脸 | fānliǎn | to fall out with sb; to become hostile |
翻 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 翻
How many strokes are in 翻?
翻 is written with 18 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 翻 mean?
翻 (fān) means to turn over; to flip over; to overturn. A common word with it is 翻译 (fānyì), meaning "to translate; to interpret".
How do you pronounce 翻?
翻 is pronounced fān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 翻?
The radical of 翻 is 羽, which carries the idea of "feather". Dictionaries list 翻 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 翻?
The traditional form of 翻 is 飜. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 翻 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 翻 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 翻 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 翻译 and 口译?
翻译 (fānyì) is the general word for translating or interpreting, and it can also mean a translator. 口译 (kǒuyì) specifically means oral interpreting, while 笔译 (bǐyì) means written translation.
How do I say 'rummage through' using 翻?
Use 翻 with the thing being searched, often with 找 (zhǎo). For example, 他在包里翻来翻去找钥匙。(Tā zài bāo lǐ fān lái fān qù zhǎo yàoshi.) He rummaged through his bag looking for his keys.