Definition
This four-character idiom (成语) literally means 'when a thing reaches its extreme, it must reverse'. It expresses the dialectical idea that any situation pushed to its limit will inevitably turn into its opposite. You can use it as a standalone comment or as a clause to warn that overdoing something will backfire — much like the English saying 'what goes up must come down' but with a stronger sense of natural law rather than fate.
f.e.
things will reverse when they reach an extremeextremes breed reversals
Examples
- ，物极必反。Rènhé shìqíng dōu yào shìkě ér zhǐ, wù jí bì fǎn jiù shì zhège dàolǐ.Everything should be done in moderation — 'things reverse when forced to extremes' is exactly that principle.
- ，物极必反，。Tā tài jíyú qiúchéng le, jiéguǒ wù jí bì fǎn, fǎn'ér bǎ shìqíng gǎo zá le.He was too impatient for success; as a result, extremes bred reversals, and he ended up messing things up.
- 物极必反，。Gǔshì zhǎng de tài kuài wǎngwǎng yìwèi zhe wù jí bì fǎn, tóuzīzhě yào xiǎoxīn.When the stock market rises too fast, it often means things will reverse — investors need to be careful.
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