反对
fǎn duì · HSK 3
to oppose
🙅 反 = reverse/anti + 对 = toward; literally 'turned against'
反 means reverse or anti, and 对 means toward or facing. Together: 'facing against' = to oppose. Same 反 appears in 反应 (reaction) and 反正 (anyway).
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.
对 — 又 (hand) + 寸 (measure/rule)
Originally depicted a hand (又) holding or responding to something, with 寸 added as a phonetic-semantic element suggesting measured action. The traditional form 對 showed a hand presenting an object in reply, giving the core sense of 'to answer' or 'face toward.' Modern meanings like 'correct' and 'pair' grew from this idea of matching response.