骤变 (zhòu biàn) — sudden change

Definition

A formal/literary noun for a sudden, sharp change — a moment-to-moment shift in conditions, mood, or the market. Note the order: 骤 (sudden) modifies 变 (change).

noun
sudden change
Easily confused

Examples

  • 骤变。
    Tiān qì de zhòu biàn ràng rén nán yǐ shì yìng.
    The sudden change in weather is hard to adapt to.
  • 骤变。
    Tā de qíng xù zhòu biàn ràng dà jiā dōu méi xiǎng dào.
    His sudden change in mood took everyone by surprise.
  • 骤变。
    Shì chǎng zhòu biàn gěi gōng sī dài lái le hěn dà sǔn shī.
    The sudden change in the market caused great losses to the company.

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.

骤zhòusudden
变biànchange

骤 means sudden and 变 means change, giving a sudden change.

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 驟; 骤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
聚
聚jù驟zhòu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 驟 uses 馬 to show the idea of a horse and 聚 for its sound; the simplified 骤 is a later shorthand.

Open 骤 →

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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