逆 — “reverse / opposite” in Japanese

Grade 5ぎゃく, さか

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

“reverse / opposite” in Japanese is 逆, read gyaku, saka (ぎゃく, さか). 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 gyaku (ぎゃく) or saka (さか) depending on the word.

Words with 逆

逆転ぎゃくてん
逆説

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Kanji read the same way as 逆

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28