形变 (xíng biàn) — (physics) deformation, change in shape; (linguistics) transform, transformation

Definition

A technical term meaning 'change in shape' (in physics: deformation of a material) or 'transformation' (in linguistics). Always used in academic or scientific contexts.

noun
(physics) deformationchange in shape(linguistics) transformtransformation

Examples

  • 形变。
    Jīn shǔ zài gāo wēn xià róng yì fā shēng xíng biàn.
    Metal easily undergoes deformation under high temperature.
  • 形变。
    Dì zhèn dǎo zhì dì miàn chǎn shēng le míng xiǎn de xíng biàn.
    The earthquake caused obvious deformation of the ground.
  • 形变。
    Zhè ge yīn wèi xíng biàn guī zé hěn fù zá.
    This phonemic transformation rule is very complex.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

形xíngshape
变biànchange

形 (shape) + 变 (change) describes a shape undergoing 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
井
井jǐng形xíng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

形 is made from 彡 and 井, with 井 providing the sound.

Open 形 →

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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