# Reversal words



## Hyperpolyglot

I've noticed that some words mean exactly the same thing when they are reversed, for example, boundary 계한 -> 한계  ,  passion 열정 -> 정열 passion, 감정 -> 정감 emotion
Is there a special term for these words? One thing I noticed is that these happens on Sino Korean words, do they ever occur on native Korean words? Since they mean the same thing, can I use either one interchangeably? I noticed that 정감 only means emotion, feelings while 감정 can have many other meanings


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## Hit Girl

We don't change the letters around in those words. 
You need to stick to the order... 
한계, 열정, 감정 (emotion), 정감 (feeling of endearment or something like that).
I can't think of native Korean words in this nature. I'll think about it but I'm pretty sure the order of letters should not be switched around.


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## Hyperpolyglot

Hit Girl said:


> We don't change the letters around in those words.
> You need to stick to the order...
> 한계, 열정, 감정 (emotion), 정감 (feeling of endearment or something like that).
> I can't think of native Korean words in this nature. I'll think about it but I'm pretty sure the order of letters should not be switched around.



You mean there is no word such as 계한 or 장열? But I found them on the dictionary


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## Hit Girl

For "limit" I always use 한계. I've never heard of 계한... 
As for 열정, yes it IS interchangeable with "정열". Good catch!


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## Rance

I also have never heard or read anyone using 계한 before...
열정 and 정열 may sound similar, but they are not quite the same.
Naver dictionary defines:
열정 = *어떤 일에 열렬한 애정을 가지고 열중하는 마음.*
정열 = *가슴속에서 맹렬하게 일어나는 적극적인 감정.*

Probably a simple way to explain is that 열정 requires 정열, but vice versa is not true.

Also there are some expressions where one is preferred over the other.
One example I can think of is:
열정을 발휘하다. (O)
정열을 발휘하다. (X)


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## Adriana coreana

i've never heard of "계한", too. Maybe such a word exists in Chinese because i've heard a lot of chinese students in Korea tend to bring their own words(letters) into Korean only changing sounds.. sometimes it works, and somtimes it doesn't. 

감정 means literally "emotion", but 정감 is the feeling of 정.  

열정 is an energy that makes you to do something,
but 정열 is a strong emotion and it brings the image of beautiful fire, red in color, very hot in temperature


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