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变幻莫测 (biàn huàn mò cè) — unpredictable, erratic, capricious

Definition

Describes something that keeps shifting in ways no one can predict — situations, weather, markets. Less about deliberate deceit (奸诈) and more about a naturally unstable, ever-changing subject.

phrase
unpredictableerraticcapricious

Examples

  • 变幻莫测，。
    Rú jīn guó jì jú shì biàn huàn mò cè, gè guó dōu zài tiáo zhěng wài jiāo cè lüè.
    The international situation is unpredictable; every country is adjusting its diplomatic strategies.
  • 变幻莫测，。
    Gǔ shì fēng yún biàn huàn mò cè, tóu zī zhě zuì hǎo bú yào gēn fēng cāo zuò.
    The stock market is unpredictable; investors had better not follow the herd.
  • 变幻莫测，。
    Zhè ge dì qū de tiān qì biàn huàn mò cè, yì tiān zhī nèi chūn xià qiū dōng dōu néng jīng lì chūn xià qiū dōng.
    The weather in this region is unpredictable; you can experience all four seasons in one day.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

变幻strange changes
变biànchange幻huànstrange
联合Coordinate
莫测cannot be predicted
莫mònot测cèmeasure
偏正Modifier + head

The first two parts describe strange changes, and the last two say they cannot be predicted.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 變; 变 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
䜌
䜌䜌變biàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 變 uses 䜌 as a sound part and 攴 as a meaning part.

Open 变 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 幻 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 莫 shows a sun sinking into bushes, meaning dusk.

Open 莫 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 測; 测 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
則
則zé測cè
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 測 combines 氵 (water) with 則 for the sound; it is explained as measuring the depth of water. The simplified 测 is a later shorthand.

Open 测 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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