变biàn

变

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Simplified · Today

繁体

Traditional Chinese

變 (biàn, "to change") in traditional form pairs a phonetic top with the hand radical below, suggesting transformation through action; the simplified 变 swapped that bottom for "big," as if change itself might grow larger than its source. This character entered Chinese through classical texts describing the cosmic principle that all things must transform, and it remains essential in modern compounds like 變化 (change), 變態 (metamorphosis), and 轉變 (transition).

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Shuowen

变. The character combines 夂 (action, to strike) above with 乿 below, the latter containing 纟 (silk) within 夂—originally depicting silk being stretched and manipulated, hence transformed. The oracle bone form shows a hand (又) pulling at something flexible, capturing the essence of alteration itself. The structure deliberately places action over the material being changed, expressing that transformation occurs precisely through applied force upon something malleable.

Pinyin

biàn· HSK 2

变biàn

Character evolution

Shuowen

Pinyin