Chinese symbol for “unstable”
反复无常
fǎn fù wú cháng
Traditional: 反覆無常
unstable; erratic; changeable; fickle
The closest CC-CEDICT match for unstable is 反复无常 (fǎn fù wú cháng), defined as: unstable; erratic; changeable; fickle.
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Characters and stroke order
Traditional forms
Other Chinese words for “unstable”
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不稳 (不穩) | bù wěn | unstable; unsteady |
| 反复 (反覆) | fǎn fù | repeatedly; over and over |
| 不安 | bù ān | unpeaceful; unstable |
| 浮 | fú | to float; superficial |
| 风雨飘摇 (風雨飄搖) | fēng yǔ piāo yáo | tossed about by the wind and rain (idiom); (of a situation) unstable |
Related words
Other words that share a character with 反复无常.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 反对 (反對) | fǎn duì | to oppose; to be against; to object to |
| 反应 (反應) | fǎn yìng | to react; to respond |
| 反映 | fǎn yìng | to mirror; to reflect |
| 违反 (違反) | wéi fǎn | to violate (a law) |
| 反而 | fǎn ér | on the contrary; instead |
| 相反 | xiāng fǎn | opposite; contrary |
| 恢复 (恢復) | huī fù | to reinstate; to resume |
| 复杂 (複雜) | fù zá | complicated; complex |
| 无法 (無法) | wú fǎ | unable to; incapable of |
| 非常 | fēi cháng | very; really; unusual; extraordinary |
See also: Japanese symbol for “unstable”.
Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.