Common word› JLPT N2 › Freq. Frequency Top 5,000 Conjugation 回転する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'
Form Positive Negative Dictionary 回かい 転てん する 回かい 転てん しない Polite 回かい 転てん します 回かい 転てん しません Past polite 回かい 転てん しました 回かい 転てん しませんでした Past 回かい 転てん した 回かい 転てん しなかった Te-form 回かい 転てん して 回かい 転てん しないで Desire 回かい 転てん したい 回かい 転てん したくない Potential 回かい 転てん できる 回かい 転てん できない Passive 回かい 転てん される 回かい 転てん されない Causative 回かい 転てん させる 回かい 転てん させない Causative passive 回かい 転てん させられる 回かい 転てん させられない Volitional 回かい 転てん しよう Polite volitional 回かい 転てん しましょう Imperative 回かい 転てん しろ 回かい 転てん するな Conditional 回かい 転てん すれば 回かい 転てん しなければ Tara conditional 回かい 転てん したら 回かい 転てん しなかったら
Meanings Jump to a sense… 1. rotation; revolution; spin 2. working (of the mind); functioning 3. turnover; circulation; flow 4. rotation (math); curl 5. slalom (skiing) Usage patterns 〈 物もの 〉 を 回かい 転てん させる to spin/rotate something
The table is rotated by the power of a motor.
〈 数かず 〉 回かい 転てん する to make ... rotations (rate of spinning)
This engine spins 3,000 times per minute.
〈 物もの 〉 の 回かい 転てん が 速はや い the turnover of ... is fast
This restaurant has a fast customer turnover.
〈 物もの 〉 の 回かい 転てん を 良よ くする to improve the turnover of ...
They cut prices to improve inventory turnover.
Kanji 転 revolve, turn around, change Transitive / intransitive 回転する is used both intransitively (地球が回転する, "the Earth rotates") and transitively with させる (テーブルを回転させる, "to spin the table"), since 回転 itself is a vs/vi noun.
Related words· 10 自転 refers specifically to rotation around one's own axis, like the Earth spinning, while 回転 is the general word for any turning or spinning motion.
循環 stresses continuous circulation within a closed system (blood, money), whereas 回転 focuses on the turning motion itself or the rate of turnover.
旋回 describes circling or banking around a point (like an airplane turning), while 回転 is the broader term for spinning or rotating in place.
回転 is the more formal, explicit noun for rotation or revolution, while 回り appears in everyday collocations like 回りがいい .
Show 6 more Show fewer 回転 is the traditional Japanese skiing term for slalom, while スラローム is the borrowed English word used more broadly for any zigzag course or event.
回転 is the general, formal word for rotation, while スピン usually implies a fast or dramatic spin, as in sports, physics, or a car losing control.
回転 is the everyday word for spinning or rotating, while 転回 suggests a larger, more deliberate revolution or turn and is used in more formal contexts.
回転 refers to a physical rotation or spinning motion, while ターン is used more broadly for any change of direction, including in sports or driving.
回転 is the general word for rotation or spinning, while 大回転 specifically emphasizes a large-scale or giant version of that motion.
回る is the plain, everyday verb for spinning or turning, while 回転する is a more formal or technical way to describe rotation, often used for machines or objects.
Don't confuse with· 6 転回 means turning around or reversing direction (e.g. a U-turn or reversal of a chord), while 回転 means continuous spinning or rotation, so they are easy to mix up despite sharing both kanji.
回転 simply means rotating or turning (neutral motion), while 空転 specifically means turning without traction or without producing useful effect.
回転 describes physical spinning or turning motion, while ローテーション refers to a scheduled rotation of people, tasks, or turns, not literal spinning.
Show 3 more Show fewer 回転 means general rotation or spinning in place, while 横転 specifically means toppling or rolling onto one's side (or a full sideways roll).
回転 means rotating or spinning around an axis, while 反転 means flipping to face the opposite direction or inverting order, not continuous rotation.
In skiing, 回転 refers to the slalom discipline with tight turns, whereas 大回転 refers to the giant slalom with wider, faster turns.
Word family· 56 Show 7 more Show fewer revolving door
number of revolutions; rotational speed
rotator; rotating machine
revolving light; flashing light; emergency vehicle light
turnover rate
pivoted window
trommel; rotary screen; revolving sieve
See all 56 in Explore →
Written forms 回かい 転てん Usage 100%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
廻かい 転てん Usage <1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 回転 is overwhelmingly preferred.
Etymology Compound of 回 (turn, revolve) and 転 (revolve, change). The kanji combination naturally conveys rotation and turning.
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