反 (fǎn) is a Chinese character meaning “opposite”. It is written from 厂 (factory; cliff radical) and 又 (again), one enclosing the other, and takes 4 strokes.
Build the character for “opposite; turn it over”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
厂 + 又
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 说文解字：反，覆也。从又，厂反形
Memory aid
A hand (又) tucked under an overhanging cliff (厂), pushing it back the other way. Both parts are really in this character — together they say: turn it over, go against it.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
4 strokes
In real words
- 反对fǎn duìto oppose; to be against反 = fǎn
- 相反xiāng fǎnopposite; contrary反 = fǎn
- 反驳fǎn bóto refute; to argue back against what someone said反 = fǎn
- 违反wéi fǎnto violate; to break (a rule or law)反 = fǎn
- 反映fǎn yìngto reflect; to report (a situation or opinion)反 = fǎn
- 反省fǎn xǐngto reflect on one's own conduct; to examine oneself反 = fǎnspoken asfán xǐng
Go deeper
All readings
opposite; to oppose
opposite; reverse; to turn over; to oppose; on the contrary
翻转过来，方向或位置颠倒；也表示反对、相反。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 反对fǎn duìto oppose; to be against反 = fǎn
- 相反xiāng fǎnopposite; contrary反 = fǎn
- 反驳fǎn bóto refute; to argue back against what someone said反 = fǎn
- 违反wéi fǎnto violate; to break (a rule or law)反 = fǎn
- 反映fǎn yìngto reflect; to report (a situation or opinion)反 = fǎn
- 反省fǎn xǐngto reflect on one's own conduct; to examine oneself反 = fǎnspoken asfán xǐng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 反 mean?
反 (fǎn) means opposite; reverse; to turn over; to oppose; on the contrary.
How do you pronounce 反?
It is pronounced fǎn.
What parts is 反 made of?
厂 (factory; cliff radical) and 又 (again), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字：反，覆也。从又，厂反形. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 反 have?
4. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 反?
又. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 反?
Common ones are 反对 and 相反. The reading of 反 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.