反 — to oppose / to reverse

Grade 3はん, ほん, たん, そ

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反 (readings: はん, ほん, たん, そ; Japanese kanji) means “to oppose / to reverse”. It is a Grade 3 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 3 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 反対 (opposition).

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What does 反 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	反
Meaning	to oppose / to reverse
Readings	はん, ほん, たん, そ
Grade	Grade 3 (Medium)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	反対 (opposition)

How to read 反

反 is read はん or ほん or たん or そ depending on the word.

Words with 反

反対はんたいngược lại
反射はんしゃphản xạ

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Updated: 2026-08-09