Meaning
The kanji 倒 covers falling, collapsing, and being toppled — a person tumbling to the ground, a building crumbling, or a government being overthrown. It appears across a wide range of situations: someone fainting on the street, a tree uprooted by a storm, or a company filing for bankruptcy.
Structurally, 倒 has two parts: the left side is 亻 (the person radical, a simplified form of 人), and the right side is 到 (meaning "to arrive" or "to reach"). Think of it as a person who has finally arrived at the point of no return — they've reached their limit and gone down. The combination captures that moment of collapse.
The character has 10 strokes and is a Jōyō kanji (常用漢字) introduced at the secondary school level. In the JLPT framework it sits at N2, appearing regularly in news articles, formal writing, and everyday speech. From stumbling on stairs to toppling a regime, 倒 covers the full range.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi reading is トウ (tō). It comes from the Chinese pronunciation and appears mainly in compound words (熟語, jukugo) — the kind you'll meet in news headlines and formal texts.
- 倒産 (tōsan) — business bankruptcy, going under
- 転倒 (tentō) — falling down, tumbling, tripping
- 圧倒 (attō) — to overwhelm, to overpower completely
- 打倒 (datō) — overthrow, defeat, bringing down an enemy or system
- 卒倒 (sottō) — to faint, to collapse suddenly
- 倒壊 (tōkai) — collapse of a structure such as a building or wall
- 傾倒 (keitō) — deep devotion to, being absorbed in something
- 倒置 (tōchi) — inversion, reversal of order in grammar or rhetoric
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi readings are たお(れる) (taoreru) and たお(す) (taosu). These are the native verb forms used in everyday conversation. The distinction matters: たおれる is intransitive — the subject falls on its own. たおす is transitive — someone actively knocks something down.
- 倒れる (taoreru) — to fall down, to collapse on its own
- 倒す (taosu) — to knock over, to topple, to defeat someone
- 打ち倒す (uchitaosu) — to knock down by striking, to beat decisively
- 木が倒れる (ki ga taoreru) — a tree falls down
Common Words & Compounds
倒 appears in compounds across many different contexts. Here are the most useful ones, grouped by theme:
Physical falling and collapsing:
- 転倒 (tentō) — tripping and falling, tumbling over
- 倒壊 (tōkai) — structural collapse of a building or wall
- 卒倒 (sottō) — sudden fainting, passing out
- 倒れる (taoreru) — to fall, to collapse
Defeat and overthrow:
- 打倒 (datō) — to overthrow, bring down a government, rival, or enemy
- 圧倒 (attō) — to overwhelm, to completely overpower
- 打ち倒す (uchitaosu) — to strike down, to defeat decisively
Financial and business:
- 倒産 (tōsan) — bankruptcy, business failure
Everyday nuisance and trouble:
- 面倒 (mendō) — troublesome, bothersome; also: taking care of someone
- 面倒くさい (mendōkusai) — a real chore, genuinely tedious
Deep interest and devotion:
- 傾倒 (keitō) — being absorbed in a person, ideology, or field
Rhetoric and grammar:
- 倒置 (tōchi) — inversion, reversed word order for emphasis
- 倒置法 (tōchihō) — the rhetorical device of inversion
Example Sentences
強い風で木が倒れた。
Tsuyoi kaze de ki ga taoreta.
A tree fell over in the strong wind.
彼は疲れて道で倒れてしまった。
Kare wa tsukarete michi de taorete shimatta.
He collapsed on the street from exhaustion.
その会社は去年倒産した。
Sono kaisha wa kyonen tōsan shita.
That company went bankrupt last year.
地震で古い建物が倒壊した。
Jishin de furui tatemono ga tōkai shita.
The old building collapsed in the earthquake.
彼女のチームは相手を圧倒した。
Kanojo no chīmu wa aite wo attō shita.
Her team completely overwhelmed their opponents.
その仕事は面倒くさくて、やる気が出ない。
Sono shigoto wa mendōkusaku te, yaruki ga denai.
That work is such a chore that I can't bring myself to start it.
民衆は独裁者を打倒しようとした。
Minshū wa dokusaisha wo datō shiyō to shita.
The people tried to overthrow the dictator.
子供の頃から音楽に傾倒していた。
Kodomo no koro kara ongaku ni keitō shite ita.
I have been deeply devoted to music since childhood.
階段で転倒して、足を痛めた。
Kaidan de tentō shite, ashi wo itameta.
I tumbled on the stairs and hurt my leg.
Memory Tip
Picture a person (亻) who has been walking all day and finally arrives (到) at their breaking point — they've reached their limit and collapse. The right side 到 means "to arrive," so the whole character becomes: a person arriving at the moment of falling.
The image carries into every meaning. A building that has reached its structural limit. A company that ran out of road. An enemy defeated after a long fight. Whenever you see 倒, picture that traveler tipping over at journey's end.