哗变 (huá biàn) — (of soldiers, sailors, etc.) to mutiny; to revo…

Definition

A formal written term for a sudden mutiny or revolt by soldiers, sailors, or troops against their own commanders — not used in casual speech.

verb

(of soldiers, sailors, etc.) to mutinyto revolt against authority

哗变。
Nà sōu chuán shàng de shuǐ shǒu tū rán huá biàn le.
The sailors on that ship suddenly mutinied.
哗变。
Jūn duì huá biàn dǎo zhì zhèng quán gēng dié.
The army mutiny led to a change of regime.
哗变。
Lì shǐ shàng duō cì fā shēng shì bīng huá biàn de shì jiàn.
Throughout history, there have been many incidents of soldiers mutinying.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

变biànrebellion

哗 means uproar and 变 means rebellion; together they name a noisy rebellion against authority.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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.