Forum Rocket Japanese Japanese Vocab Opposite: ぎゃく vs. はんたい

Opposite: ぎゃく vs. はんたい

イ リ ニ

イ リ ニ

Hello,

Could someone please help me understand when to use ぎゃく vs. はんたい .  In researching this online, there seems to be contradictory explanations.

Thanks very much!!

Emma-Rocket-Japanese-Tutor

Emma-Rocket-Japanese-Tutor

こんにちは (Konnichiwa) イ リ ニ,

Good question! These two words are a little confusing, since they both mean "opposite" in English. 

The word 反対 (hantai) refers to two things that are opposed, like two buildings opposite each other, or two people on opposite sides of a debate. 
It also means opposite as in how black is the opposite to white, and hot is the opposite to cold. 
If you are against something, you would say 反対している (hantai shite iru) "(I am) against (it)" - literally, "(I am) opposed."

逆 (Gyaku) on the other hand, refers to something going against what is considered to be the correct order or direction. For example, if you were going the wrong way on the highway, or you wore your shirt inside out.

I hope this helped. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
勉強を頑張って下さい! (Benkyō o ganbatte kudasai!)
 

 
イ リ ニ

イ リ ニ

Thank you so much, that's very helpful :-)

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