ひっくり返かえる

ひ

っ

く

り

か

え

る

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

be overturned; be reversed; turn over; capsize

Describes something flipping over, turning upside down, or being reversed in position or order. Used for physical objects, vehicles, and abstract situations like decisions or power dynamics.

車くるまがひっくり返かえって大たい破はした。
The car overturned and was wrecked.
裁

さい

判ばん

で

判はん

決けつ

が

ひっくり

返かえ

っ

た

。

The verdict was overturned in court.

2

godan verb (-ru), intransitive verb

fall down; tumble down; topple over; lie on one's back

Refers to a person or thing falling over, often ending up on its back or side. Common in casual descriptions of tripping, collapsing, or being knocked over.

石いしにつまずいてひっくり返かえった。
I tripped on a stone and fell flat on my back.
強きょう風ふうで看かん板ばんがひっくり返かえった。
The signboard toppled over in the strong wind.

Written forms

ひっくり返るUsage68%
- ひっくりかえる
  Standard kanji-kana spelling; the most common written form.
- ひっくりがえる
ひっくりかえるUsage20%
Kana spelling; common in casual writing and for clarity.
引っくり返るUsage9%
- ひっくりかえる
  Variant with 引; less common but still encountered.
- ひっくりがえる
引っ繰り返るUsage3%
- ひっくりかえる
  Ateji spelling using 繰; rare and mostly historical.
- ひっくりがえる
引繰り返るUsage<1%
- ひっくりかえる
  Uncommon ateji variant without the small っ in the kanji form.
- ひっくりがえる
ひっくりがえる

Kanji

返return, answer, fade
引pull, tug, jerk
繰winding, reel, spin

Similar words

ひっくり返かえす
Transitive counterpart meaning 'to overturn (something)' or 'to turn (something) over'. ひっくり返る is intransitive and describes the state change itself.
倒たおれる
Also means 'to fall down', but 倒れる is more general and can refer to collapsing from illness or fainting, while ひっくり返る emphasizes flipping or ending up on one's back.

Etymology

Compound of ひっくり (emphatic prefix from 引っ繰り) + 返る (to turn over, return). The prefix ひっくり adds a sense of suddenness or completeness to the action of flipping.