逆さかさま

さ

か

さ

ま

JLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun

inverted; upside down; reversed; back to front

Describes something being the opposite way around, upside down, or reversed in order. Used as a noun, な-adjective, or の-adjective.

絵えが逆さかさまに掛かけてある。
The picture is hung upside down.
順じゅん番ばんが逆さかさまになっている。
The order is reversed.
彼かれは逆さかさまの考かんがえ方かたをする。
He has a backwards way of thinking.

See all 25 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉を逆さかさまにするto turn something upside down
靴くつを逆さかさまにして水みずを出だした。
I turned the shoes upside down to drain the water.
〈物もの〉が逆さかさまになるfor something to end up upside down
壁かべの写しゃ真しんが逆さかさまになっていた。
The photo on the wall was hanging upside down.
〈物もの〉を逆さかさまに読よむto read something backwards
その言こと葉ばを逆さかさまに読よむと別べつの意い味みになる。
If you read that word backwards, it means something else.

Kanji

逆inverted, reverse, opposite
様Esq., way, manner
倒overthrow, fall, collapse

Related words

逆ぎゃくN3
逆 is a broad term for 'reverse/opposite' in any sense, while 逆さま specifically describes physical or positional inversion like upside-down.
反はん対たいN4
反対 refers to being opposite in direction, opinion, or meaning, whereas 逆さま implies an actual physical flip such as top-to-bottom or front-to-back.
逆さかさN2
逆さ is a more casual, spoken shortening of 逆さま with the same meaning of being upside down or reversed.
上うえ下したN1
上下 (as 上下になる) describes something specifically flipped top-to-bottom, while 逆さま is the everyday word for anything reversed, not limited to vertical orientation.
逆さか立だちN1
逆さま simply describes something as upside-down or reversed, while 逆立ち more specifically evokes the image of a handstand-like inversion.

Word family

真まっ逆さかさま
head over heels; headlong; head first
上じょう下げ逆さかさま
upside down; inverted
逆さかさまつげ
turned-in eyelashes; ingrown eyelashes; trichiasis

Written forms

逆さかさまUsage53%
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling; the most common written form.
さかさまUsage44%
逆さか様さまUsage3%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; 逆さま is preferred.
サカサマUsage<1%
倒さかさま
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used single-kanji form; not recommended for learners.

Etymology

Compound of 逆 (saka, 'reverse') + 様 (sama, 'state, way'). The reading さか is an older form of 逆 (saka), and さま is a suffix meaning 'state' or 'manner'.