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变态 (biàn tài) — (biology) metamorphosis; (psychology) abnormality, perversion

Definition

In biology, 变态 means metamorphosis (e.g. insects). In everyday use it means 'abnormal/perverted,' used of people or behavior and almost always negative.

noun
(biology) metamorphosis(psychology) abnormalityperversion

Examples

  • 变态。
    Kūn chóng de biàn tài guò chéng fēi cháng shén qí.
    The metamorphosis process of insects is very miraculous.
  • 变态。
    Tā de zhè zhǒng xīn lǐ biàn tài xū yào jiē shòu zhì liáo.
    This kind of psychological abnormality in him requires treatment.
  • 变态。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng miáo shù le yí gè biàn tài de gù shi.
    This movie describes an aberrant story.

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.

变biànchanged
态tàistate

变 changed plus 态 state gives a changed or abnormal state.

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 →

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
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
太
太tài态tài
Same sound today

态 is made of 太, which gives the sound, and 心 (heart).

Open 态 →
Appears in
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