颠倒 diāndǎo to turn upside down
to turn upside down; to reverse; back to front; confused; deranged; crazy
How to remember 颠倒: 颠 peak + 倒 collapse = to turn upside down.
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How it is used
- To turn upside down / reverse the order - 顺序颠倒了 (shùnxù diāndǎo le) the order got reversed.
- Both literal inversion and figurative confusion (神魂颠倒 head-over-heels/infatuated; 是非颠倒 right and wrong reversed).
- Read diān dǎo. Contrast 倒 alone (to fall/invert); 颠倒 stresses a two-way flip or muddling of order.