翻

• Pinyin: fān
• Hanzi breakdown: 翻 = 番 (turn, phonetic) + 羽 (feather/wings) — the idea of flipping like wings turning

Meaning

To turn over; to flip; to rummage through. Describes the physical action of turning something to its other side or searching through items.

Can refer to flipping pages, turning over objects, climbing over walls or mountains, or rummaging through belongings. Also used figuratively in compounds like 翻新 (renovate) and 翻倍 (double). Often paired with directional complements like 翻过来 (flip over) or 翻开 (open by flipping).

Examples

1. 她翻了翻书包，终于找到了钥匙。 She rummaged through her schoolbag and finally found the key.
2. 请把这张纸翻过来看看背面。 Please flip this paper over and look at the back.
3. 他翻过那座山才到了村子里。 He climbed over that mountain before reaching the village.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, physical actions

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 你翻到第三十页。(Turn to page thirty.)
• 别翻我的东西！(Don't rummage through my stuff!)

Don't Say

• 我翻了这个问题 (Don't use 翻 for abstract problems — use 思考 or 考虑 for thinking over a problem)

Origin & History

Composed of 番 (fān, a turn or time) with the 羽 (feather) radical replaced by the hand-related semantic, suggesting the action of turning with hands.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal