覆くつがえる

く

つ

が

え

る

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 50,000

覆る · godan verb (-ru)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	覆くつがえる	覆くつがえらない
Polite	覆くつがえります	覆くつがえりません
Past polite	覆くつがえりました	覆くつがえりませんでした
Past	覆くつがえった	覆くつがえらなかった
Te-form	覆くつがえって	覆くつがえらないで
Desire	覆くつがえりたい	覆くつがえりたくない
Potential	覆くつがえれる	覆くつがえれない
Passive	覆くつがえられる	覆くつがえられない
Causative	覆くつがえらせる	覆くつがえらせない
Causative passive	覆くつがえらせられるalso 覆くつがえらされる	覆くつがえらせられないalso 覆くつがえらされない
Volitional	覆くつがえろう
Polite volitional	覆くつがえりましょう
Imperative	覆くつがえれ	覆くつがえるな
Conditional	覆くつがえれば	覆くつがえらなければ
Tara conditional	覆くつがえったら	覆くつがえらなかったら

Pairs with覆す

Meanings

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

topple over; capsize; be overturned

Physical sense: something large or stable falls over, flips, or is turned upside down. Often used for boats, vehicles, or heavy objects.

強きょう風ふうでトラックが覆くつがえった。
The truck toppled over in the strong wind.
ボートが波なみで覆くつがえりそうになった。
The boat nearly capsized in the waves.

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

be overturned; be reversed; be overruled

Abstract sense: a decision, ruling, theory, or established idea is overturned or discredited. Common in legal, political, and academic contexts.

最さい高こう裁さいで一いっ審しん判はん決けつが覆くつがえった。
The lower court ruling was overturned by the Supreme Court.
新しん証しょう拠こによって従じゅう来らいの説せつが覆くつがえった。
The conventional theory was overturned by new evidence.

Usage patterns

判はん決けつが覆くつがえるfor a court ruling or verdict to be overturned
高こう裁さいで一いっ審しんの判はん決けつが覆くつがえった。
The high court overturned the first ruling.
舟ふねが覆くつがえるfor a boat to capsize
強つよい波なみで舟ふねが覆くつがえった。
The boat capsized in the rough waves.
定てい説せつが覆くつがえるfor a widely accepted theory to be overturned
新あたらしい発はっ見けんによって、これまでの定てい説せつが覆くつがえった。
The new discovery overturned the long-held theory.

Expressions

前ぜん車しゃの覆くつがえるは後こう車しゃの戒いましめlearn from others' mistakes; the toppling of the cart in front serves as a warning for the cart behind

Kanji

覆capsize, cover, shade

Transitive / intransitive

覆くつがえすN1
覆す is the transitive verb meaning 'to overturn something' (a decision, a boat), while 覆る is intransitive and describes the state of being overturned.

Related words

転てん覆ぷくN1sense 1
転覆する is a more formal, technical word for capsizing or being overthrown (ships, governments), while 覆る is the everyday verb for the same physical event.
逆ぎゃく転てんN2sense 2
逆転する emphasizes a situation or result flipping to the opposite, while 覆る focuses on a decision or ruling being invalidated or reversed.
ひっくり返かえるN3
覆る is a more formal word for a decision, verdict, or belief being overturned, while ひっくり返る is the everyday word covering both physical flipping and figurative reversal.

Don't confuse with

覆おおうN3
覆う (おおう) means 'to cover' something, while 覆る (くつがえる) means 'to be overturned'; they share the kanji 覆 but have unrelated meanings and readings.

Written forms

覆くつがえるUsage70%
Standard kanji spelling for both physical and abstract senses.
くつがえるUsage30%

Etymology

Compound of 覆 (くつ, 'to overturn') + 返る (かえる, 'to return, turn over'). The exact derivation of くつ is uncertain, but the word has been used since classical Japanese.