Japanese symbol for “reverse”
逆
ぎゃく
Romaji: gyaku
reverse; opposite
In Japanese, reverse is 逆, read ぎゃく (gyaku).
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.
Meanings
- adj-na, adj-no, n reverse; opposite
- adj-na, n converse (of a hypothesis, etc.)
- n-pref inverse (function) (math)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “reverse”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 裏側 | うらがわ uragawa | the reverse (side); back (side); other side |
| 敗北 | はいぼく haiboku | defeat; loss; reverse |
| 反対 | はんたい hantai | reverse; opposite; inverse |
| 裏腹 | うらはら urahara | opposite; reverse; contrary |
| 裏面 | うらめん uramen | back (side); reverse |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 逆さ | さかさ sakasa | inverted; upside down; reversed |
| 逆転 | ぎゃくてん gyakuten | reversal (of a situation); turnaround; turnabout |
| 反逆 | はんぎゃく hangyaku | treason; treachery; mutiny |
| 逆境 | ぎゃっきょう gyakkyou | adverse circumstances; unfortunate situation; adversity |
| 逆戻り | ぎゃくもどり gyakumodori | retrogression; reversal; relapse |
| 逆らう | さからう sakarau | to go against; to oppose; to disobey |
See also: Chinese symbol for “reverse”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.