覆くつがえす

く

つ

が

え

す

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

覆す · godan verb (-su)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	覆くつがえす	覆くつがえさない
Polite	覆くつがえします	覆くつがえしません
Past polite	覆くつがえしました	覆くつがえしませんでした
Past	覆くつがえした	覆くつがえさなかった
Te-form	覆くつがえして	覆くつがえさないで
Desire	覆くつがえしたい	覆くつがえしたくない
Potential	覆くつがえせる	覆くつがえせない
Passive	覆くつがえされる	覆くつがえされない
Causative	覆くつがえさせる	覆くつがえさせない
Causative passive	覆くつがえさせられる	覆くつがえさせられない
Volitional	覆くつがえそう
Polite volitional	覆くつがえしましょう
Imperative	覆くつがえせ	覆くつがえすな
Conditional	覆くつがえせば	覆くつがえさなければ
Tara conditional	覆くつがえしたら	覆くつがえさなかったら

Pairs with覆る

Meanings

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

overturn; capsize; upset

Physical sense: to tip something over, turn it upside down, or cause it to capsize. Often used with objects like boats, vehicles, or containers.

大おお波なみが小ちいさなボートを覆くつがえした。
A big wave capsized the small boat.
強きょう風ふうでトラックが覆くつがえされることもある。
Strong winds can sometimes overturn trucks.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

overthrow; topple

Used for overthrowing governments, regimes, or established authorities. Strongly political or revolutionary nuance.

革かく命めい軍ぐんは独どく裁さい政せい権けんを覆くつがえした。
The revolutionary army overthrew the dictatorship.

godan verb (-su), transitive verb

reverse; overturn; disprove

Abstract sense: to reverse a decision, ruling, or judgment; to disprove a theory or established idea; to overrule a previous conclusion.

裁さい判ばん所しょは一いっ審しんの判はん決けつを覆くつがえした。
The court overturned the lower court's decision.
新あらたな証しょう拠こが従じゅう来らいの学がく説せつを覆くつがえした。
New evidence disproved the conventional theory.

See all 60 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を覆くつがえすto capsize or overturn something (a boat, vehicle, etc.)
強きょう風ふうがボートを覆くつがえした。
A strong wind capsized the boat.
政せい権けんを覆くつがえすto overthrow a government or regime
反はん乱らん軍ぐんが政せい権けんを覆くつがえした。
The rebel forces overthrew the government.
形けい勢せいを覆くつがえすto turn the tables or reverse the situation
逆ぎゃく転てんホームランで形けい勢せいを覆くつがえした。
A come-from-behind home run turned the tables.
予よ想そうを覆くつがえすto defy expectations or predictions
彼かれの優ゆう勝しょうは多おおくの予よ想そうを覆くつがえす結けっ果かだった。
His victory was a result that defied most predictions.

Expressions

判はん決けつを覆くつがえすoverturn a ruling; reverse a judgment
常じょう識しきを覆くつがえすdefy conventional wisdom; overturn common sense

Kanji

覆capsize, cover, shade

Transitive / intransitive

覆くつがえる
覆す is the transitive verb for actively overturning something, while 覆る is the intransitive verb describing something toppling or being reversed on its own.

Related words

ひっくり返かえすN3sense 1
ひっくり返す is a casual, everyday word for physically flipping or turning something over, while 覆す is more formal and can also describe abstract reversals.
打だ倒とう sense 2
打倒する emphasizes defeating or bringing down a specific opponent or regime, while 覆す focuses on the act of toppling a system or authority itself.
打だ破は sense 3
打破する means to break through or destroy an old idea or barrier, while 覆す can also mean reversing a specific ruling or theory with new evidence.
転てん覆ぷくN1
覆す is the transitive verb for overturning something (a decision, a boat, an order), while 転覆 is the noun for the resulting overturning or overthrow.
翻ひるがえすN1
覆す is used for overturning abstract things like decisions, theories, or governments completely, whereas 翻す for changing one's mind describes a more personal, often abrupt, shift in stance.

Opposites

支し持じN2sense 3
支持する means to support or uphold a decision or ruling, the direct opposite of 覆す, which means to overturn or reverse it.

Don't confuse with

翻ひるがえすN1sense 3
翻す is typically used for reversing one's own opinion or decision (意見を翻す), while 覆す is used for overturning an external ruling, theory, or authority.

Written forms

覆くつがえすUsage72%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses.
くつがえすUsage28%

Etymology

Compound of 覆 (くつ, 'to overturn') + 返す (かえす, 'to return/turn over'). The reading くつ is an old verb root meaning 'to overturn' or 'to collapse', related to 覆る (くつがえる).