癌变 (ái biàn) — cancerous transformation; malignant change

Definition

Medical term for the process by which normal cells become malignant (noun). Combines 癌 ('cancer') with 变 ('to change/transform') — distinguished from 病变, which covers any tissue pathology, not only cancer.

noun
cancerous transformationmalignant change

Examples

  • 癌变。
    Zhè zhǒng xì bāo fā shēng le ái biàn.
    This type of cell has undergone cancerous transformation.
  • ，癌变。
    Yī shēng gào sù tā, zhè ge zhǒng liú yǒu ái biàn de kě néng.
    The doctor told him that this tumor has a possibility of malignant change.
  • 癌变。
    Zǎo qī fā xiàn kě yǐ zǔ zhǐ ái biàn de fā shēng.
    Early detection can prevent the occurrence of cancerous transformation.

Origin

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.

癌áicancer
变biànchange

癌 names the cancerous nature of the 变, giving malignant transformation.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nèdisease
Sound part声符shēngfú
嵒
嵒yán癌
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

癌 combines 疒 (disease) with 嵒, a component used for its sound.

Open 癌 →

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 →

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