How to say "inversion" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 転化てんかnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbGlossed as change, transformation, or inversion; its core sense is transformation or conversion into something else. It is seldom the word you want for inversion proper — reach for it when the meaning is really 'transformation'.
- 逆しまさかしまnoun, na-adjectiveCovers reverse, inversion, and upside down, with an everyday feel for things that are literally the wrong way round. Use it when the inversion is spatial or visual rather than abstract or technical.
- 転倒てんとうnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbInversion, reversal, or turning upside-down; it can describe an abstract order or relationship being inverted or reversed as well as something physically turned over. A safe general choice for the reversal sense.
- 反転はんてんnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbTurning around the other way, reversal of direction or course, flipping, or inversion. Best when something flips to its opposite or reverses direction, and common for inversion in technical contexts such as images or signals.
- 倒置とうちnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbGlossed simply as inversion, and this is its specific sense: the inversion of normal order, as in grammar or logic. When English 'inversion' refers to reversed word order or a rearranged sequence, this is the word to use.
Choose 倒置 for grammatical/logical inversion, 反転 for flipping or reversal of direction, 転倒 for turning upside-down or reversal, 「逆しま」 for something literally upside down, and 転化 mainly for transformation rather than inversion.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
