反省

fǎn xǐng

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Verb Uncommon

Definitions

1. to reflect upon oneself
2. to examine one's conscience
3. to question oneself
4. to search one's soul

Word relationships

Related words

1 item

• 后悔 hòu huǐ 后悔 hòu huǐ to regret; to feel remorse Feel regret, often after reflection.: to regret; to feel remorse

Synonyms

3 items

• 反思 fǎn sī 反思 fǎn sī to think back over sth Reflect on past actions or thoughts.: to think back over sth
• 自省 zì xǐng 自省 zì xǐng to examine oneself Self-examination of one's behavior.: to examine oneself
• 检讨 jiǎn tǎo 检讨 jiǎn tǎo to examine or inspect Make a self-criticism or examine mistakes.: to examine or inspect

Usage notes

Common mistakes

“反省” often requires a specific object (e.g., 反省自己/反省错误) and is not used intransitively as casually as English “reflect”; avoid using it alone without clarifying what is reflected upon.

Formality

“反省” has a formal, introspective tone and is often used in writing or serious speech, not for casual daily reflection.

Example Sentences

1 shown

你需要 反省 自己的行为。

You need to reflect on your own behavior.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Child Words of 反省

• 反 反 fǎn: contrary
• 省 省 shěng: to save
• 省 省 xǐng: (bound form) to scrutinize