逆

• Pinyin: nì
• Hanzi breakdown: 逆 = 辶(walk/movement radical) + 屰(to go against — pictograph of a person going backwards)

Meaning

To go against; to defy; to act contrary to something. To move in the opposite direction from what is expected or prescribed.

Used in formal, literary, and technical contexts. Key compounds: 逆流 (go against the current), 逆势 (against the trend), 逆时针 (counterclockwise), 逆境 (adversity), 逆反心理 (reactance/rebellious psychology). In classical literature, 逆 can also mean 'treacherous' or 'rebellious.'

Examples

1. 他逆着人群的方向走去，显得格外突兀，引来路人的侧目。 He walked against the flow of the crowd, looking especially out of place and drawing sideways glances from passersby.
2. 在这种不利形势下，企业选择逆势扩张，被许多分析师认为是高风险之举。 In an unfavorable climate like this, the company chose to expand against the trend—something many analysts see as a high-risk move.
3. 水流湍急，渔船逆流而上，船夫们奋力划桨，才勉强保持前进的速度。 The current was swift, and the fishing boat fought upstream; the boatmen rowed with all their strength just to keep moving forward.

Usage Guide

Context: physics, finance, literature, everyday life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 在金融市场持续下行的环境下，该基金依然逆势取得了正收益，其投资策略引发业内广泛关注和深入研究。(In an environment of sustained financial market decline, this fund still achieved positive returns against the trend — its investment strategy has attracted widespread attention and in-depth research in the industry.)
• 心理学研究表明，过度的管控往往会激发青少年的逆反心理，导致他们采取与父母期望完全相反的行为。(Psychological research shows that excessive control often triggers adolescent reactance, causing them to adopt behaviour that is exactly contrary to parental expectations.)

Don't Say

• 将'逆'单独用于口语中表示'反对' — 逆 is typically used in compounds or formal/literary contexts; in casual speech, 反对 or 不同意 are far more natural

Origin & History

逆 = 辶(movement) + 屰 (going in the opposite direction). The character itself depicts movement against the natural direction.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal