反过来

• Pinyin: fǎn guò lái
• Hanzi breakdown: 反 = 厂 + 又 — reversal; 过 = 辶 (movement) + 咼 (pass through) — to pass through/over; 来 = pictograph — to come

Meaning

Conversely; in reverse; turning the situation around. Used to introduce the opposite direction of an action, argument, or relationship.

Functions as a discourse connector indicating reversal of roles, perspectives, or causal direction. Common in logical argumentation, analytical writing, and everyday speech. Can describe a physical reversal (turning something over) or an abstract reversal (considering the opposite viewpoint).

Examples

1. 良好的睡眠能够改善情绪状态，反过来，积极稳定的情绪也会显著提升睡眠质量，两者之间形成相互促进的良性循环。 Good sleep can improve your mood; conversely, a positive and stable mood can also significantly improve sleep quality, creating a mutually reinforcing virtuous cycle.
2. 他花了数年时间教导学生，反过来，学生们对他提出的尖锐问题也不断迫使他重新审视自己长期以来视为定论的假设。 He spent years teaching his students; conversely, the sharp questions the students raised kept pushing him to reexamine assumptions he had long treated as settled conclusions.
3. 企业依赖社会提供的人才与基础设施，反过来也有责任通过纳税和创造就业来回馈社会，实现可持续的共赢关系。 Businesses rely on society for talent and infrastructure; conversely, they have a responsibility to give back through paying taxes and creating jobs, building a sustainable win-win relationship.

Usage Guide

Context: logic, analysis, argumentation, everyday

Tone: analytical

Do Say

• 品牌形象能维持信任；反过来，形象受损也会拖累销量。(Brand image can sustain trust; conversely, damage to that image can also hurt sales.)
• 语言塑造认知；反过来，认知框架也影响语言选择。(Language shapes cognition; conversely, cognitive frameworks also influence language choices.)

Don't Say

• 反过来说他也对 — without clear logical framing, this is ambiguous; specify the reversal clearly with 从相反的角度来看 or 换个角度说 when introducing a contrasting viewpoint in formal contexts

Origin & History

反 (reverse/contrary) + 过来 (to come around/turn around) — to turn the situation or perspective around in the opposite direction

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal