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应变 (yìng biàn) — (v.o.) to adapt to changes, to respond to contingencies

Definition

应变 (yìngbiàn) is a formal verb-object word meaning to adapt to changing or unexpected situations — more written and abstract than 适应, which is the everyday word for 'adapt'.

verb
(v.o.) to adapt to changesto respond to contingencies

Examples

  • 应变，。
    Gōng sī bì xū xué huì yìng biàn, cái néng shì yìng shì chǎng biàn huà.
    The company must learn to adapt to changes to keep up with market shifts.
  • ，，。
    Yù dào jǐn jí qíng kuàng, tā yìng le biàn, guǒ duàn cǎi qǔ le cuò shī.
    In an emergency, he adapted to the change and decisively took action.
  • 应变，。
    Tā de yìng biàn néng lì fēi cháng tū chū, zǒng néng kuài sù tiáo zhěng cè lüè.
    His ability to adapt is outstanding; he can always quickly adjust his strategy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

应yìngrespond to
变biànchanges

应 “respond to” what 变 “changes” bring.

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 應; 应 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
䧹
䧹䧹應yìng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 應 pairs 心 (heart) with 䧹 as a sound part; the simplified 应 is a later shorthand and its parts are not the original components.

Open 应 →

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 →
Appears in
Change & Process

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