Translation guide
The concept of returning to a previous state, condition, or owner. In Japanese, this is expressed through various nouns, verbs, and compound terms depending on what is reverting and the context.
Expressing that something goes back to how it was before.
Commonly used for returning to a previous state, position, or status, such as returning to work after leave, or a system reverting to a previous setting.
He returned to work after his illness.
The system reverted to default settings.
General noun meaning 'return' or 'reversion', often used in compound terms or as a standalone noun.
We haven't seen a reversion in the economy yet.
Implies a negative or undesirable reversion, like backsliding or regression.
All that effort is going to waste (reverting back).
Specifically refers to atavism or throwback in biology, or a reversion to ancestral traits.
The plant exhibited reversion to an ancestral form.
When property, rights, or an estate returns to a former owner or the state.
Also used in legal contexts for reversion of rights or property.
Ownership of the land reverted to the state.
Used for the return or reversion of territory, rights, or property, often in formal or diplomatic contexts.
Refers to reversion of property or rights to the original owner, often used in legal documents.
In genetics, when a mutation reverts to the wild type.
復帰 (fukki) is the most versatile and neutral term for reversion to a previous state, often used in formal or technical contexts. 戻り (modori) is a general noun for 'return' and can be used in everyday language but is less specific. 逆戻り (gyakumodori) carries a negative connotation of backsliding or regression.
The English word 'reversion' is often translated as 復帰, but in many casual contexts, it's more natural to use verb phrases like 元に戻る (moto ni modoru) or 戻す (modosu). Using the noun form can sound overly formal or technical.
The software reverted to the previous version.
More natural than using 復帰 in casual tech contexts.
After the lease expired, the property reverted to the landlord.
Formal legal context.
沖縄の日本への返還は1972年だった。
The reversion of Okinawa to Japan was in 1972.
契約終了後、権利は元の所有者に帰属する。
Upon termination of the contract, the rights revert to the original owner.