Han character 飜

Older usage gives 飜 the sense “fly” or “flutter.” As a variant of 翻, it also belongs to words about turning over, reversing, overturning, or translating; the surrounding word tells you which sense fits.

The 543 Yupian, a Chinese character dictionary, places 飜 under flight and says it may also be written 翻. The Shuowen, an early Chinese character dictionary, explains 翻 as “to fly” and notes a form written with 飛; Ganlu zishu, a calligraphy dictionary, pairs 飜 and 翻 as interchangeable and gives 翻 as the standard form.

Is 飜 another form of 翻?

Yes. They are established variants with the same readings and senses. 飜 combines 番, a sound component, with 飛, meaning flight; 翻 combines 番 with 羽, meaning feather. This is a documented character relationship, not just a resemblance.

In Japanese, 飜 is also an older spelling of 翻 in ひるがえる, a verb meaning to flutter or turn over.