How do you pronounce 物极必反?

物极必反 is pronounced wù jí bì fǎn in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 物极必反 literally mean?

Literally, 物极必反 means “Things at their peak must reverse”. It is used to mean “When things reach an extreme, they will inevitably turn into their opposite; extremes meet”.

Where does 物极必反 come from?

物极必反 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 物极必反?

极：顶点；反：向反面转化。事物发展到极点，会向相反方向转化。

物极必反 — “Things at their peak must reverse”

物极必反 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “When things reach an extreme, they will inevitably turn into their opposite; extremes meet”. Literally, “Things at their peak must reverse”.

Frequency

物极必反 Pronunciation and Pinyin

物wù
极jí
必bì
反fǎn

物极必反 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
物	wù	8	thing, matter, creature, object
极	jí	7	utmost extreme or pole
必	bì	5	must, bound to
反	fǎn	4	reverse, opposite, anti

Example Sentence with 物极必反

任何事情都有一个限度，如果一味地追求极致，往往会物极必反，导致不良后果。

Everything has a limit; if one blindly pursues extremes, it often leads to things turning into their opposites, resulting in undesirable consequences.

Origin and Story of 物极必反

Wu Zetian, a talented concubine of Emperor Taizong, later became Empress to Emperor Gaozong. After Gaozong's death, as Emperor Zhongzong was still young, she took charge of the imperial court.

As Zhongzong gradually grew up and was able to handle state affairs, Empress Wu was unwilling to relinquish power.

The minister Su An'huan submitted a memorial, urging her to return governmental power to Zhongzong, and reminded her to be mindful that 'things turn into their opposites when they reach the extreme' and 'a full vessel is prone to overflowing.' Wu Zetian did not heed his advice.

Idioms Related to 物极必反

Synonyms of 物极必反

zhōu周ér而fù复shǐ始cycle and repeat

Antonyms of 物极必反

qiān千piān篇yī一lǜ律monotonous and uninspired

More idioms starting with 物

Questions about 物极必反

What does 物极必反 mean?: 物极必反 (wù jí bì fǎn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “When things reach an extreme, they will inevitably turn into their opposite; extremes meet”.
How do you pronounce 物极必反?: 物极必反 is pronounced wù jí bì fǎn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 物极必反 literally mean?: Literally, 物极必反 means “Things at their peak must reverse”. It is used to mean “When things reach an extreme, they will inevitably turn into their opposite; extremes meet”.
Where does 物极必反 come from?: 物极必反 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 物极必反?: 极：顶点；反：向反面转化。事物发展到极点，会向相反方向转化。

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