Word
振り返る
Meaning in Englishto turn head, to turn around, to look back
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
What does 振り返る mean? It means to turn one's gaze back toward something, often to reflect on past events or reconsider actions, and to review or reassess a situation.
Main meanings
- physical act of turning the head or body to look behind you
- reflecting on past events or experiences
- reassessing or reconsidering plans, projects, or actions
How to use it
Used in both spoken and written Japanese, across formal and informal registers. In general, it describes looking back on past events or reviewing ongoing plans, and it can be used with a variety of objects to specify what is being looked back upon.
Variants and close terms
- 回顧する (kaikōsuru) — to review or reminisce
- 思い返す (omoikaesu) — to recall or think back
- 見返す (mikaesu) — to look back or compare favorably
- 忘れる (wasureru) — antonym: to forget
Composition
- 振: to shake or swing; indicates motion connected with turning
- 返: to return, to come back; provides the sense of turning back
- り: kana that links the elements and marks the stem
- る: verb ending that marks the dictionary form of the godan verb
Word class
verb (godan)
Word
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