Hanzi Now
CharactersIdiomsChinese NameFlashcards
Tools

Visual content

  • Chinese Text Image GeneratorCreate PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
  • Stroke Order AnimatorTurn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
  • Character Highlight AnimatorChoose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
  • Chinese Text Morph AnimatorTurn one Chinese character, word or phrase into another; download SVG, MP4 or WebM

Audio content

  • Chinese Text to SpeechRead Chinese aloud with karaoke highlighting

Teaching materials

  • Writing WorksheetsPrintable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
  • Bingo CardsPicture and word Bingo for your class
  • Picture WorksheetsChinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets

Other

  • Pinyin GeneratorConvert Chinese text to pinyin with tone marks
  • Chinese Zodiac CalculatorFind your animal sign from your birth date and make a zodiac card.
  • Chinese Word CounterCount characters, words and sentences in Chinese text
View all tools →
天翻地覆
天翻地覆
天翻地覆
天翻地覆
天翻地覆
天翻地覆
天翻地覆
天翻地覆
天翻地覆
天翻地覆

天翻地覆 — “Describing immense changes”

天翻地覆 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “describing immense changes”. A state of utter chaos and confusion, or a tremendous uproar. Literally, “Sky turns over, earth tumbles”.

Frequency

天翻地覆 Pronunciation and Pinyin

天翻地覆 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order
CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
天
tiān4sky, heaven, day, nature
翻
fān18turn over, double, cross
地
dì6earth, ground, land, place
覆
fù18cover, overturn, reply

Example Sentence with 天翻地覆

科技的飞速发展给人们的生活带来了天翻地覆的变化。
The rapid advancement of technology has brought about earth-shattering changes to people's lives.

Origin and Story of 天翻地覆

In the Jia family mansion, Zhao Yi Niang and Ma Dao Po conspired to harm Feng Jie and Bao Yu.

Ma Dao Po cut out two paper figures, wrote Feng Jie and Bao Yu's birthdays on them, and performed a spell.

Immediately, Bao Yu and Feng Jie fell gravely ill, almost losing their lives.

When someone prepared coffins for them, Grandmother Jia became furious, wanting to punish those who made the coffins, crying and making such a fuss that the entire Jia mansion was turned upside down in utter chaos.

Idioms Related to 天翻地覆

Synonyms of 天翻地覆

  • tiān天bēng崩dì地liè裂cataclysmic upheaval
  • fān翻tiān天fù覆dì地tremendous, fundamental, earth-shattering changes

Antonyms of 天翻地覆

  • yī一chéng成bù不biàn变remain unchanged

More idioms starting with 天

  • tiān天shàng上rén人jiān间worlds apart
  • tiān天shàng上dì地xià下,,wéi惟wǒ我dú独zūn尊supremely arrogant and self-important
  • tiān天shàng上tiān天xià下,,wéi惟wǒ我dú独zūn尊Arrogant and self-important
  • tiān天shàng上shǎo少yǒu有,,dì地xià下nán难xún寻extremely rare, unique
  • tiān天shàng上shí石lín麟a brilliant and talented son
  • tiān天shàng上qí麒lín麟praise a son's exceptional talent
  • tiān天xià下yī一jiā家universal brotherhood and harmony
  • tiān天xià下wèi为yī一The world united
  • tiān天xià下wéi为gōng公The world belongs to everyone
  • tiān天xià下wéi为jiā家To make the world one's home
  • tiān天xià下wéi为lóng笼the world is a confining cage
  • tiān天xià下wū乌yā鸦yī一bān般hēi黑all evil is the same everywhere

Recommended tools

Writing Worksheets

Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion

Open the tool →

Stroke Order Animator

Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4

Open the tool →

Picture Worksheets

Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets

Open the tool →

Bingo Cards

Picture and word Bingo for your class

Open the tool →

Questions about 天翻地覆

What does 天翻地覆 mean?

天翻地覆 (tiān fān dì fù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “describing immense changes”.

How do you pronounce 天翻地覆?

天翻地覆 is pronounced tiān fān dì fù in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 天翻地覆 literally mean?

Literally, 天翻地覆 means “Sky turns over, earth tumbles”. It is used to mean “describing immense changes”.

Where does 天翻地覆 come from?

天翻地覆 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 天翻地覆?

覆:翻过来。形容变化巨大。也形容闹得很凶。

Hanzi Now

Explore the charm of Chinese language

Explore

  • Characters
  • Idioms
  • Chinese Names
  • Flashcards

Tools

  • Chinese Text Image Generator
  • Stroke Order Animator
  • Character Highlight Animator
  • Bingo Cards
  • Picture Worksheets
  • All Tools

More

  • Blog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
© 2026 Hanzi NowContact Us