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突变 (tū biàn) — (noun) sudden change, mutation; (verb) to mutate, to undergo a sudden change

Definition

突变 names a sudden qualitative shift — in science, a genetic mutation; in philosophy, the 'leap' where quantity turns into quality (see 飞跃). Contrast with 渐变, the gradual counterpart.

noun
sudden changemutation
verb
to mutateto undergo a sudden change

Examples

  • 突变。
    Zhè zhǒng jī yīn tū biàn huì dǎo zhì jí bìng.
    This type of genetic mutation can cause disease.
  • 突变，。
    Tiān qì tū rán tū biàn, qì wēn xià jiàng le hěn duō.
    The weather changed suddenly, and the temperature dropped a lot.
  • 突变。
    Liàng biàn jī lěi dào yí dìng chéng dù jiù huì fā shēng tū biàn.
    When quantitative changes accumulate to a certain degree, a qualitative leap will occur.

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.

突tūsudden
变biànchange

突 gives the sense of suddenness, while 变 denotes change.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

突 shows 犬 (dog) under 穴 (cave; den), as a dog suddenly coming out of a den.

Open 突 →

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
BiologyChange & Process

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