Forwards - backwards Chinese words
I just found this cool thread on Baidu Zhidao, where posters have collected examples of Chinese words that can be reversed. They’re grouped into categories based on how related the meanings are after you swap the characters around.
This list is by no means comprehensive - there are probably thousands of words like this. These are just some interesting examples, courtesy of the users at Baidu Zhidao.
You can study this list on Skritter.
Verb / adjective & noun reversals
虚空 - 空虚 xūkōng - kōngxū empty - emptiness
煎熬 - 熬煎 jiān'áo - áojiān to suffer - suffering
情痴 - 痴情 qíngchī - chīqíng to be infatuated - infatuation
报喜 - 喜报 bàoxǐ - xǐbào to announce - announcement
愿意 - 意愿 yuànyì - yìyuàn to wish for - a wish
适合 - 合适 shìhé - héshì to suit - appropriate
年少 - 少年 niánshào - shàonián young - youth
忌妒 - 妒忌 jìdù - dùjì to be jealous of - jealousy
金黄 - 黄金 jīnhuáng - huángjīn golden - gold
画图 - 图画 huàtú - túhuà to draw - drawing
锁门 - 门锁 suǒmén - ménsuǒ to lock a door - door lock
犯罪 - 罪犯 fànzuì - zuìfàn to commit a crime - criminal
Meaning is very similar when reversed
宵夜 - 夜宵 xiāoyè - yèxiāo midnight snack
讲演 - 演讲 jiǎngyǎn - yǎnjiǎng lecture
觉察 - 察觉 juéchá - chájué sense, perceive
夜半 - 半夜 yèbàn - bànyè midnight
胆大 - 大胆 dǎndà - dàdǎn bold, brave
依偎 - 偎依 yīwēi - wēiyī cuddle, snuggle
喜欢 - 欢喜 xǐhuan - huānxǐ like, be fond of
累积 - 积累 lěijī - jīlěi accumulate
互相 - 相互 hùxiāng - xiānghù each other
代替 - 替代 dàitì - tìdài replace, substitute
问询 - 询问 wènxún - xúnwèn inquire
奋发 - 发奋 fènfā - fāfèn effort, work hard
质朴 - 朴质 zhípǔ - pǔzhí simple, plain
寂静 - 静寂 jìjìng - jìngjì quiet, still
容颜 - 颜容 róngyán - yánróng countenance, bearing
情感 - 感情 qínggǎn - gǎnqíng feeling, emotion
别离 - 离别 biélí - líbié to leave, to part
久远 - 远久 jiǔyuǎn - yuǎnjiǔ old, distant
登攀 - 攀登 dēngpān - pāndēng to climb, to scale
并吞 - 吞并 bìngtūn - tūnbìng merge, annex
整齐 - 齐整 zhěngqí - qízhěng orderly, neat
虫害 - 害虫 chónghài - hàichóng pest insect
Meaning is closely related when reversed
Products and sources
牛奶 - 奶牛 niúnǎi - nǎiniú milk - cow
蜂蜜 - 蜜蜂 fēngmì - mìfēng honey - bee
猪肉 - 肉猪 zhūròu - ròuzhū pork - pig for eating
菜油 - 油菜 càiyóu - yóucài rapeseed oil - oilseed rape
蛇毒 - 毒蛇 shédú - dúshé venom - viper
鸡肉 - 肉鸡 jī ròu - ròujī chicken (meat) - chicken (bird)
井水 - 水井 jǐngshuǐ - shuǐjǐng well water - well
笔画 - 画笔 bǐhuà - huàbǐ brush stroke - brush
Other closely related reversible words
和平 - 平和 hépíng - pínghé peace, placid
语言 - 言语 yǔyán - yányǔ language - speech
开放 - 放开 kāifàng - fàngkāi to open - to relase
焰火 - 火焰 yànhuǒ - huǒyàn fireworks - flame
雪白 - 白雪 xuěbái - báixuě snow white - white snow
彩色 - 色彩 cǎisè - sècǎi multi-coloured - colouring
云彩 - 彩云 yúncai - cǎiyún cloud - rosy clouds
明天 - 天明 míngtiān - tiānmíng tomorrow - dawn
牙刷 - 刷牙 yáshuā - shuāyá toothbrush - to brush teeth
计算 - 算计 jìsuàn - suànjì to calculate - to reckon
Meaning is loosely related when reversed
缓和 - 和缓 huǎnhé - héhuǎn to alleviate - to relax
质变 - 变质 zhìbiàn - biànzhí fundamental change - detoriate
生产 - 产生 shēngchǎn - chǎnshēng childbirth - to give rise to
现实 - 实现 xiànshí - shíxiàn reality - to realise
中心 - 心中 zhōngxīn - xīnzhōng heart - in one's heart
官宦 - 宦官 guānhuàn - huànguān official - eunuch official
发挥 - 挥发 fāhuī - huīfā to develop - volatile
面相 - 相面 miànxiàng - xiàngmiàn facial features - facial divination
感动 - 动感 gǎndòng - dònggǎn to move - dynamism
上马 - 马上 shàngmǎ - mǎshàng mount a horse - immediately
调情 - 情调 tiáoqíng - qíngdiào to flirt - tone, mood
动乱 - 乱动 dòngluàn - luàndòng turmoil - to meddle with
人情 - 情人 rénqíng - qíngrén emotion - lover
乡下 - 下乡 xiāngxià - xiàxiāng countryside - go to countryside
海上 - 上海 pinyin maritime - Shanghai
故事 - 事故 gùshì - shìgù story - accident
当家 - 家当 dāngjiā - jiādàng manage household - family property
Meaning is totally different when reversed
带领 - 领带 dàilǐng - lǐngdài to guide - neck tie
万一 - 一万 wànyī - yīwàn just in case - ten thousand
文盲 - 盲文 wénmáng - mángwén illiterate - braille
[Study this list on Skritter](http://www.skritter.cn/vocab/list?list=146892016&ref=chineseboost)
