Translation guide
How to express the action of turning around (physically rotating one's body or direction) in Japanese, depending on the context and nuance.
The physical action of rotating your body 180 degrees so you are facing the opposite way.
To turn around (usually by twisting the upper body) to look behind you. Often used when you hear something and turn to see what it is.
I turned around because I heard a noise behind me.
To turn one's head or body to look back, often in response to a call or sound. Similar to 振り返る but can imply a quicker, more casual turn.
I turned around when someone called my name.
Literally 'to face behind'. A straightforward way to say turn around to face the back.
The teacher turned around (to face the back).
To spin around quickly and lightly. Often used for a full 360-degree turn or a playful spin.
The child spun around.
Changing the direction of a vehicle or object so it faces the opposite way.
To change direction, make a turn. Used for vehicles, plans, or abstract directions.
The car turned around.
To make a U-turn. Common for vehicles.
Please turn around here.
To reverse direction, flip, or invert. Can be used for vehicles or abstract reversals.
The ship turned around.
Stopping forward motion and returning in the direction you came from.
To turn back, retrace one's steps. Used when you decide to go back the way you came.
It started raining, so I turned around and went back.
To go back along the road you came. Literally 'return along the road you came'.
Let's turn around and go back the way we came.
Reversing a negative situation or trend.
Both mean to turn around to look behind, but 振り返る often implies a more deliberate action of turning the upper body, while 振り向く can be just turning the head. 振り返る is also used metaphorically to mean 'look back on the past'.
Look back on the past.
The English phrase 'turn around' can be translated in many ways depending on context. Avoid directly translating word-for-word; instead choose the expression that matches the specific action or nuance.
The company turned itself around splendidly.