逆 — reverse / opposite

Grade 5ぎゃく, さか

Radical ⾡ · radical 162 The building block this kanji is filed under

逆 (readings: ぎゃく, さか; Japanese kanji) means “reverse / opposite”. It is a Grade 5 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 5 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 逆説 (paradox).

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What does 逆 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	逆
Meaning	reverse / opposite
Readings	ぎゃく, さか
Grade	Grade 5 (Hard)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	逆説 (paradox)

How to read 逆

逆 is read ぎゃく or さか depending on the word.

Words with 逆

逆転ぎゃくてんlật ngược thế cờ
逆説nghịch lý

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Updated: 2026-08-09