反复
fǎnfù · HSK 3
repeatedly
🔁 反 = reverse + 复 = again; reverse-and-again = repeatedly
反 means reverse or turn back; 复 means again or resume. Together they describe an action done back-and-forth, over and over. The English gloss backward and forward mirrors this compound structure directly.
反 — hand 又 under cliff 厂
Originally a pictograph of a hand (又) turning something over against a cliff or slope (厂), depicting the action of flipping or reversing. From this came the core meaning 'to turn over,' which extended to 'opposite,' 'contrary,' and 'rebel against.' The character is purely semantic, with no phonetic component.