Chinese–EnglishWith examples

颠倒

diān dǎo · dian dao

Traditional 顛倒

HSK 7–9Old HSK 6

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. to turn upside down
  2. to reverse
  3. back to front
  4. confused
  5. deranged
  6. crazy
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In a conversation

0:19 cartoon

The upside-down painting

  1. Liangliang

    这幅(zhèfú)画(huà)怎么(zěnme)看不懂(kànbudǒng)？

    Why can I not understand this painting?

  2. Dengdeng

    因为(yīnwèi)你(nǐ)挂(guà)颠倒(diāndǎo)了(le)。

    Because you hung it upside down.

  3. Liangliang

    真的吗(zhēndema)？我(wǒ)把(bǎ)它(tā)颠倒(diāndǎo)过来(guòlái)看看(kànkan)。

    Really? Let me turn it around and see.

  4. Dengdeng

    现在(xiànzài)，太阳(tàiyang)在(zài)上面(shàngmiàn)了(le)吧(ba)？

    Now the sun is on top, right?

  5. Liangliang

    对(duì)！不过(bùguò)颠倒(diāndǎo)的(de)那个(nàge)，我(wǒ)更(gèng)喜欢(xǐhuan)。

    Yes! But I like the upside-down one more.

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

他(tā)把(bǎ)书(shū)拿(ná)颠(diān)倒(dǎo)了(le)，却(què)一(yì)直(zhí)没(méi)有(yǒu)发(fā)现(xiàn)。

He was holding the book upside down but never noticed.

02

这(zhè)两(liǎng)个(gè)字(zì)的(de)位(wèi)置(zhi)颠(diān)倒(dǎo)了(le)，意(yì)思(si)就(jiù)完(wán)全(quán)不(bù)同(tóng)。

If the positions of these two characters are reversed, the meaning is completely different.

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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