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变色 (biàn sè) — to change color, discolor, fade; to change countenance (turn pale)

Definition

Literary verb for 'to change color' — both literal (leaves, fabric fading) and figurative (turning pale, a shift in expression). More written than everyday 改变颜色.

verb
to change colordiscolorfadeto change countenance (turn pale)

Examples

  • 变色。
    Qiū tiān de yè zi kāi shǐ biàn sè le.
    The leaves begin to change color in autumn.
  • ，。
    Zhè jiàn yī fu xǐ guò jǐ cì, yǐ jīng biàn guò yí cì sè le.
    This piece of clothing has been washed several times and has already changed color once.
  • ，变色。
    Tā tīng le zhè ge xiāo xi, liǎn sè tū rán biàn sè le.
    After hearing this news, his countenance suddenly changed.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

变biànchange
色sècolor

变 “change” applies to 色 “color”, so something changes color.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 爪爪zhuǎclaw; hand
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

色 pairs 爪 (a hand) with 卩 (a kneeling person), showing a hand pressing down on the kneeling person.

Open 色 →
Appears in
ColorsChange & Process

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