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.
後ろで物音がしたので振り返った。
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.
名前を呼ばれて振り向いた。
I turned around when someone called my name.
Literally 'to face behind'. A straightforward way to say turn around to face the back.
先生が後ろを向いた。
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.
子供がくるりと回った。
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.
車が方向転換した。
The car turned around.
To make a U-turn. Common for vehicles.
ここでUターンしてください。
Please turn around here.
To reverse direction, flip, or invert. Can be used for vehicles or abstract reversals.
船が反転した。
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.
雨が降ってきたので引き返した。
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'.
来た道を戻りましょう。
Let's turn around and go back the way we came.
Reversing a negative situation or trend.
To reverse the situation, turn the tables. Used in sports, business, etc.
彼は形勢を逆転した。
He turned the situation around.
To recover, get back on one's feet. Often used for personal or financial recovery.
会社は見事に立ち直った。
The company turned itself around splendidly.
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'.
過去を振り返る。
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.