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JLPT N38画 · 8 strokesradical 刀grade 4freq #3000

change, strange

On'yomi (音読み)

  • ヘン

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

  • へん.かす
  • へん.になる
  • か.える

Mnemonic

The knife (刀) and person (亻) appear to change places, making the situation strange—just like a magician's unexpected transformation!

About this kanji

The kanji 変 (へん) primarily means "change" or "strange." It can function as both a noun and a verb; for example, in the compound 変化 (へんか), meaning "change," it acts as a noun. Another common compound is 変な (へんな), which means "strange" or "weird." As a verb, the kanji appears in 変わる (かわる), which means "to change." This kanji is useful in everyday conversation when discussing changes in feelings, situations, or even when describing unusual things. Note that while it often refers to change, it can also suggest something unfamiliar or odd.

Built from

Example sentences

  • 天気が急に変わった。

    The weather suddenly changed.

Meanings across languages

English
change, strange
Tiếng Việt
biến, lạ
日本語
変化, 変わる, 変える
한국어
변화
中文
变化
id
perubahan
th
การเปลี่ยนแปลง
es
cambio
fr
changement
de
Änderung
pt
mudança

Common compounds

  • 変化へんかchange, transformation
  • 変なへんなstrange, unusual
  • 変わるかわるto change, to be transformed

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