Meaning of 相反
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- opposite
- contrary
How to use 相反
As an adjective, 相反 describes two things going in opposite directions, often in the pattern 和……相反. It also works like a conjunction, 相反 or 相反地, meaning "on the contrary" at the start of a sentence. Example: 他的看法和我的相反。(Tā de kànfǎ hé wǒ de xiāngfǎn.) His view is the opposite of mine.
相 (xiāng) means mutual or each other, and 反 (fǎn) means to reverse or turn over, as in 反对 (fǎnduì). Two things that turn against each other are 相反, opposite.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes read 相 as the fourth tone xiàng because of 相机 (xiàngjī) and 照相 (zhàoxiàng). In 相反 it is first tone, xiāngfǎn, just like 相同 (xiāngtóng) and 相信 (xiāngxìn).
相反 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
相 xiāng · mutual · 9 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
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- 9
反 fǎn · contrary · 4 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 相反.
| 相信 | xiāngxìn | to believe; to be convinced; to accept as true |
| 相同 | xiāngtóng | identical; same |
| 相机 | xiàngjī | camera (abbr. for 照相機|照相机[zhao4 xiang4 ji1]); at the opportune moment |
| 照相 | zhàoxiàng | to take a photograph |
| 反正 | fǎnzhèng | anyway; in any case |
| 反对 | fǎnduì | to oppose; to be against; to object to |
| 相当 | xiāngdāng | equivalent to; appropriate |
| 反应 | fǎnyìng | to react; to respond |
| 互相 | hùxiāng | each other; mutually |
| 相关 | xiāngguān | related; relevant |
| 相互 | xiānghù | each other; mutual |
| 相似 | xiāngsì | similar; alike |
Questions about 相反
What does 相反 mean?
相反 (xiāngfǎn) means "opposite; contrary" and is used as a adjective and conjunction.
How do you write 相反?
相反 is made of 2 characters: 相 (9 strokes), 反 (4 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 相反 an HSK word?
Yes. 相反 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 相反 and 反对?
相反 describes a relationship: two things are opposite or contrary. 反对 is a verb meaning to oppose or object to something, as in 我反对这个计划 (I oppose this plan).
How do I say "on the contrary" in Chinese?
Use 相反 or 相反地 at the beginning of a sentence. For example: 他没有生气，相反，他很高兴。(Tā méiyǒu shēngqì, xiāngfǎn, tā hěn gāoxìng.) He wasn't angry. On the contrary, he was happy.