变异性 (biàn yì xìng) — variability

Definition

A technical noun for how much something changes or differs across instances — used in biology (mutability of a virus) and statistics (spread of data). Distinct from 变化 (a single act of change) and 变形 (change of shape/form).

noun
variability

Examples

  • 变异性。
    Zhè zhǒng bìng dú de biàn yì xìng hěn qiáng.
    This virus has strong variability.
  • 变异性。
    Tǒng jì xué jiā fēn xī le shù jù de biàn yì xìng.
    The statistician analyzed the variability of the data.
  • 变异性。
    Shí yàn jié guǒ xiǎn shì le jiào dà de biàn yì xìng.
    The experimental results showed considerable variability.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

变异variation
变biànchange异yìdifferent
联合Side by side
性xìngquality

变 “change” and 异 “difference” with 性 “quality” form variability.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 異; 异 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 異 depicts a person with a mask 田 over the face, so the face looks different. The simplified 异 is a later shorthand.

Open 异 →

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
忄Written in full as心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng性xìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

性 is built from 忄 (the heart) and 生 (a sound clue). The heart part connects the word to a person's inner nature or quality.

Open 性 →

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