逆 means “reverse, opposite”

ぎゃく · gyaku

Also: inverted, wicked

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

さか, さかさ, さからう

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ギャク, ゲキ

JLPT N2 · Taught in grade 5 · 9 strokes

The story

Movement (辶) with 屰, a person drawn upside down: going the wrong way. 逆 is the reverse: 逆に means on the contrary, 逆さま is upside down, and a 逆転 is a comeback that turns the whole game around.

Used in 逆転 (gyakuten, turnaround), 逆効果 (gyakukouka, the opposite effect), and 逆さま (sakasama, upside down)

More from The Order of Things

• 久 long time
• 停 stop
• 順 order
• 了 finish
• 永 eternity
• 複 multiple
• 翌 next
• 補 supplement
• 旧 former
• 並 line up

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

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