变 (biàn) — to change (intransitive); to become (followed by an adjective or result)
Definition
变 (biàn) is the simple verb 'to change / to become', usually followed by an adjective or result (变冷, 变胖). 变成 stresses a full transformation into something else; 变化 focuses on the process of change as a noun.
verb
to change (intransitive)to become (followed by an adjective or result)
Examples
- 变。Tiān qì biàn lěng le.The weather has turned cold.
- 变。Tā biàn pàng le.He has become fat.
- 变。Zhè ge chéng shì biàn piào liang le.This city has become beautiful.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
Appears in
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