1.
to look back; to turn around
To physically turn one's head or body to look behind.
ふと振り返った。
I suddenly looked back.
名前を呼ばれて振り返った。
I turned around when my name was called.
歩きながら何度も振り返った。
I kept looking back as I walked.
彼女は駅のホームで手を振りながら振り返った。
She waved and looked back from the station platform.
後ろで大きな音がしたので、思わず振り返ると、猫が棚から落ちていた。
There was a loud noise behind me, so I instinctively looked back and saw a cat had fallen from the shelf.
2.
to reflect on; to look back on
To think about or review past events, experiences, or one's own actions.
過去を振り返る。
To reflect on the past.
一年を振り返ると、いろいろなことがあった。
Looking back on the year, a lot happened.
過去を振り返っても仕方がない。
There's no point in dwelling on the past.
学生時代を振り返ると、もっと勉強しておけばよかったと思う。
Looking back on my student days, I wish I had studied more.
今までの人生を振り返ってみると、あの出会いが一番大きな転機だった。
Looking back on my life so far, that encounter was the biggest turning point.
振り返る is an intransitive verb (自動詞) formed from 振る (to swing) + 返る (to return). It means to turn back physically or mentally.
ASPECT (ている):
振り返っている indicates the action of looking back is ongoing.
PARTICLE PATTERNS:
- 振り返る (physical) — to turn around
- [period/event]を振り返る (figurative) — to reflect on [period/event]
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 過去を振り返る (look back on the past)
- 人生を振り返る (reflect on one's life)
- 一年を振り返る (look back on the year)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 振り向く: to turn around (only physical, not reflective)
- 顧みる: to reflect on, consider (more literary)
- 回顧する: to look back on (formal, written)