翻 means “flip, turn over, translate”

ほん · hon

Also: wave, flutter

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

ひるがえる, ひるがえす

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ホン, ハン

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 18 strokes

The story

Wings (羽) beside 番, take turns: picture a bird flipping over mid-flight to show its other side. 翻 is turning over: 翻訳 is translation, turning a text into another language, and a flag 翻る when it flutters in the wind.

Used in 翻訳 (hon'yaku, translation), 翻す (hirugaesu, to flip/reverse), and 翻弄 (honrou, toying with)

More from Bodies in Motion

• 践 put into practice
• 赴 proceed
• 跳 jump
• 垂 hang down
• 奔 rush
• 蹴 kick
• 踏 step on
• 懸 hang
• 躍 leap
• 駆 gallop
• 揺 shake
• 滑 slide

Learn 翻 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.