Entry
  1. Noun, Suru verb, Intransitive verb

    putting the cart before the horse; mistaking the means for the end; getting one's priorities backwards

    Yojijukugo (four character compound)

    あなたの言っていることは本末転倒だと思わないかい?
    Don't you think you're putting the cart before the horse?

Also written 本末顛倒【ほんまつてんとう】本末顚倒【ほんまつてんとう】

Pitch on OJAD

Characters in this word

4
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0

book, present, main, origin, true, real, counter for long cylindrical things

Kun
もと
On
ホン
Strokes
5
Taught
Grade 1
JLPT
N5
Frequency
10 of 2500
Radical
tree
WaniKani
Level 2

Built from

Used in names as

まとごう

Dictionary and index codes (34)
CodeReference
4-5-3SKIP code
0a5.25The Kanji Dictionary
5023.0Four corner code
1855deroo
672cUnicode hex code
1-43-60JIS X 0208-1997 kuten code
96Classic Nelson (Andrew Nelson)
2536New Nelson (John Haig)
3502New Japanese-English Character Dictionary (Jack Halpern)
4314Kodansha Kanji Dictionary (Jack Halpern)
2183Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary (Jack Halpern)
2937Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary, 2nd Edition (Jack Halpern)
211Remembering The Kanji (James Heisig)
224Remembering The Kanji, 6th edition (James Heisig)
15A New Dictionary of Kanji Usage
212Japanese Names (P.G. O’Neill)
20Essential Kanji (P.G. O’Neill)
14421Morohashi
70A Guide To Remembering Japanese Characters (Kenneth G. Henshall)
25Kanji and Kana (Spahn and Hadamitzky)
25Kanji and Kana, 2nd Edition (Spahn and Hadamitzky)
45sakade
61Japanese Kanji Flashcards (Max Hodges and Tomoko Okazaki)
76henshall3
47Tuttle Kanji Cards (Alexander Kask)
6crowley
37Kanji in Context (Nishiguchi and Kono)
2.1busy_people
1046Kodansha Compact Kanji Guide
215Les Kanjis dans la tête (Yves Maniette)
ben3Pinyin reading
bonKorean reading
n5JLPT level (KANJIDIC2)
2WaniKani level
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0

end, close, tip, powder, posterity

Kun
すえうらうれ
On
マツバツ
Strokes
5
Taught
Grade 4
JLPT
N3
Frequency
456 of 2500
Radical
tree
WaniKani
Level 7

Built from

Dictionary and index codes (33)
CodeReference
4-5-3SKIP code
0a5.26The Kanji Dictionary
5090.0Four corner code
1464deroo
672bUnicode hex code
1-43-86JIS X 0208-1997 kuten code
177Classic Nelson (Andrew Nelson)
2534New Nelson (John Haig)
3505New Japanese-English Character Dictionary (Jack Halpern)
4317Kodansha Kanji Dictionary (Jack Halpern)
2184Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary (Jack Halpern)
2940Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary, 2nd Edition (Jack Halpern)
217Remembering The Kanji (James Heisig)
230Remembering The Kanji, 6th edition (James Heisig)
528A New Dictionary of Kanji Usage
211Japanese Names (P.G. O’Neill)
565Essential Kanji (P.G. O’Neill)
14420Morohashi
587A Guide To Remembering Japanese Characters (Kenneth G. Henshall)
305Kanji and Kana (Spahn and Hadamitzky)
305Kanji and Kana, 2nd Edition (Spahn and Hadamitzky)
515sakade
616Japanese Kanji Flashcards (Max Hodges and Tomoko Okazaki)
615henshall3
457Tuttle Kanji Cards (Alexander Kask)
584Kanji in Context (Nishiguchi and Kono)
2.16busy_people
1047Kodansha Compact Kanji Guide
222Les Kanjis dans la tête (Yves Maniette)
mo4Pinyin reading
malKorean reading
n3JLPT level (KANJIDIC2)
7WaniKani level
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0

revolve, turn around, change

Kun
ころ.がるころ.げるころ.がすころ.ぶまろ.ぶうたたうつ.るくる.めく
On
テン
Strokes
11
Taught
Grade 3
JLPT
N4
Frequency
327 of 2500
Radical
cart
WaniKani
Level 10

Built from

Dictionary and index codes (33)
CodeReference
1-7-4SKIP code
7c4.3The Kanji Dictionary
5103.1Four corner code
1571deroo
8ee2Unicode hex code
1-37-30JIS X 0208-1997 kuten code
4615Classic Nelson (Andrew Nelson)
5948New Nelson (John Haig)
1480New Japanese-English Character Dictionary (Jack Halpern)
1872Kodansha Kanji Dictionary (Jack Halpern)
995Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary (Jack Halpern)
1346Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary, 2nd Edition (Jack Halpern)
420Remembering The Kanji (James Heisig)
449Remembering The Kanji, 6th edition (James Heisig)
339A New Dictionary of Kanji Usage
1656Japanese Names (P.G. O’Neill)
515Essential Kanji (P.G. O’Neill)
38234PMorohashi
354A Guide To Remembering Japanese Characters (Kenneth G. Henshall)
433Kanji and Kana (Spahn and Hadamitzky)
439Kanji and Kana, 2nd Edition (Spahn and Hadamitzky)
479sakade
257Japanese Kanji Flashcards (Max Hodges and Tomoko Okazaki)
375henshall3
383Tuttle Kanji Cards (Alexander Kask)
65Kanji in Context (Nishiguchi and Kono)
3.16busy_people
1773Kodansha Compact Kanji Guide
427Les Kanjis dans la tête (Yves Maniette)
zhuan3, zhuai3, zhuan4Pinyin reading
jeonKorean reading
n4JLPT level (KANJIDIC2)
10WaniKani level
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0

overthrow, fall, collapse, drop, break down

Kun
たお.れる-だお.れたお.すさかさまさかささかしま
On
トウ
Strokes
10
Taught
Junior high
JLPT
N3
Frequency
791 of 2500
Radical
person
WaniKani
Level 20

Built from

Dictionary and index codes (29)
CodeReference
1-2-8SKIP code
2a8.5The Kanji Dictionary
2220.0Four corner code
2143deroo
5012Unicode hex code
1-37-61JIS X 0208-1997 kuten code
487Classic Nelson (Andrew Nelson)
256New Nelson (John Haig)
124New Japanese-English Character Dictionary (Jack Halpern)
139Kodansha Kanji Dictionary (Jack Halpern)
93Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary (Jack Halpern)
106Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary, 2nd Edition (Jack Halpern)
980Remembering The Kanji (James Heisig)
1055Remembering The Kanji, 6th edition (James Heisig)
1188A New Dictionary of Kanji Usage
1189Essential Kanji (P.G. O’Neill)
767Morohashi
1643A Guide To Remembering Japanese Characters (Kenneth G. Henshall)
905Kanji and Kana (Spahn and Hadamitzky)
927Kanji and Kana, 2nd Edition (Spahn and Hadamitzky)
324Japanese Kanji Flashcards (Max Hodges and Tomoko Okazaki)
1303Tuttle Kanji Cards (Alexander Kask)
225Kanji in Context (Nishiguchi and Kono)
109Kodansha Compact Kanji Guide
989Les Kanjis dans la tête (Yves Maniette)
dao3, dao4Pinyin reading
doKorean reading
n3JLPT level (KANJIDIC2)
20WaniKani level