Word Meaning 本末転倒

ほんまつてんとう hommatsutentou

本末転倒 is read as ほんまつてんとう (hommatsutentou) and means putting the cart before the horse.

Meaning

English

  1. putting the cart before the horse
  2. mistaking the means for the end
  3. getting one's priorities backwards

Reading

Kana

ほんまつてんとう

Romaji

hommatsutentou

Writing Variants

  • 本末顛倒 ほんまつてんとう hommatsutentou
  • 本末顚倒 ほんまつてんとう hommatsutentou

Stroke Sequence

4 Characters • 31 Total Strokes

Study Signals and Categories

JLPT N3 Jōyō Upper Grade Kanken 4級 Yojijukugo Rank 19579 Priority D

Related Vocabulary

Max. 12

本末

ほんまつ

essence and fringe

本木に勝る末木なし

もときにまさるうらきなし

of soup and love, the first is the best

転倒

てんとう

getting upset

七転八倒

しちてんばっとう

tossing oneself about in great pain

主客転倒

しゅかくてんとう

reversing the order of (relative) importance (of)

転倒

てんどう

cognitive distortion

本社移転

ほんしゃいてん

headquarter shift

冠履転倒

かんりてんとう

disorder

運転資本

うんてんしほん

working capital

転倒注意

てんとうちゅうい

watch your step

紀事本末体

きじほんまつたい

topical-annalistic style (of historical writing)