回天

Chinese

to circle; to go back; to turn around
to circle; to go back; to turn around; to answer; to return; to revolve; (a measure word for matters or actions) a time; Islam
 
day; sky; heaven
trad. (回天/迴天) /
simp. (回天)

Pronunciation


Verb

回天

  1. (figuratively) to save a desperate situation

Derived terms

  • 人力回天 (rénlìhuítiān)
  • 回天之力
  • 回天乏術 / 回天乏术 (in a desperate situation)
  • 回天無力 / 回天无力 (in a desperate situation)
  • 轉日回天 / 转日回天

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (回天):
  • Japanese: 回天(かいてん) (kaiten)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
かい
Grade: 2
てん
Grade: 1
kan'on on'yomi
Alternative spelling
廻天

Etymology

is a daiyōji replacing .

Pronunciation

Noun

(かい)(てん) • (kaitenくわいてん (kwaiten)?

  1. (figuratively) changing the worsening situation for the better; turning the tide

Verb

(かい)(てん)する • (kaiten suruくわいてん (kwaiten)?suru (stem (かい)(てん) (kaiten shi), past (かい)(てん)した (kaiten shita))

  1. (figuratively) to change the worsening situation for the better; to turn the tide

Conjugation

Proper noun

(かい)(てん) • (Kaiten

  1. (weaponry) Kaiten, crewed torpedoes and suicide craft used by the Imperial Japanese Navy in the final stages of World War II

References

  1. ^ Yamada, Tadao et al., editors (2011), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Seventh edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. 2.0 2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN