Translation and Meaning of: 変化 - henka

The Japanese word 「変化」 (henka) is a combination of two kanji: 「変」 which means "change" or "alter," and 「化」 which denotes "transform" or "convert." Together, they create a concept that refers to change, metamorphosis, or transformation. In the Japanese language, this expression is widely used to describe changes that are both physical and abstract, applying to various contexts such as weather, personality, emotional state, or physical condition.

The kanji that compose 「変化」 are quite significant in their etymology. The kanji 「変」 (hen) is often associated with transformations, and its radical means something strange or peculiar, bringing a connotation of change that is out of the ordinary or a deviation from the norm. Meanwhile, the kanji 「化」 (ka) relates to the idea of transformation or adaptation, and its radical is present in other words that imply change or modification, such as in 「文化」 (bunka), which means "culture."

The origin of the word can be traced back to ancient times when the Chinese kanji characters were introduced in Japan. Since their introduction, the Japanese adopted many of these characters and integrated them into their language, often modifying the pronunciation to better fit local phonemes. Like other borrowed words, 「変化」 has evolved over time to accommodate contemporary usage in the Japanese language, encompassing various fields of knowledge and aspects of everyday life.

In modern usage, in addition to its most obvious application in describing natural changes or changes of state, the word is also widely used in more abstract contexts. For example, it can refer to a change of opinion or an important transition in a personal development journey. Some variations of the word include 「変化する」 (henkasuru), which is the verb "to change," and 「変化球」 (henkakyuu), referring to a type of pitch in baseball, exemplifying its use in specific spheres such as sports.

Vocabulary

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Synonyms and similar words

• 変容 (Hen'yō) - Transformation or change of shape.
• 変遷 (Hansen) - Transition or change over time.
• 変革 (Henkaku) - Reform or radical change.
• 変化する (Henka suru) - Make changes; the act of changing.
• 変貌 (Henbō) - Transformation; change of appearance.
• 変化すること (Henka suru koto) - The act of changing.
• 変化するもの (Henka suru mono) - Things that change.
• 変化する性質 (Henka suru seishitsu) - Nature that changes.
• 変化する状態 (Henka suru jōtai) - State that changes.
• 変化する様子 (Henka suru yōsu) - Appearance of something that is changing.
• 変化する要素 (Henka suru yōso) - Elements that change.
• 変化する特性 (Henka suru tokusei) - Characteristics that change.
• 変化する傾向 (Henka suru keikō) - Trends that change.
• 変化するパターン (Henka suru patān) - Patterns that change.
• 変化する構造 (Henka suru kōzō) - Structures that change.
• 変化する形態 (Henka suru keitai) - Shapes that change.
• 変化する形式 (Henka suru keishiki) - Formats that change.
• 変化する表現 (Henka suru hyōgen) - Expressions that change.
• 変化する意味 (Henka suru imi) - Meanings that change.
• 変化する価値 (Henka suru kachi) - Values that change.
• 変化する影響 (Henka suru eikyō) - Influences that change.
• 変化する効果 (Henka suru kōka) - Changing effects.
• 変化する可能性 (Henka suru kanōsei) - Changing possibilities.
• 変化する限界 (Henka suru genkai) - Limits that change.
• 変化する範囲 (Henka suru han'i) - Games that change.
• 変化する条件 (Henka suru jōken) - Changing conditions.
• 変化する原因 (Henka suru gen'in) - Causes that change.

変化

Romaji: henka
Kana: へんか
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n3

Translation / Meaning: change; variation; alteration; mutation; transition; transformation; transfiguration; metamorphosis; variety; diversity; inflection; declension; conjugation

Meaning in English: change;variation;alteration;mutation;transition;transformation;transfiguration;metamorphosis;variety;diversity;inflection;declension;conjugation

Definition: A change of state or situation.

Example Sentences - (変化) henka

See below some example sentences:

金融業界は常に変化しています。

Kin'yū gyōkai wa tsuneni henka shite imasu

The financial industry is constantly changing.

• 金融業界 - financial sector
• は - Topic particle
• 常に - always
• 変化しています - it's changing

社会は常に変化しています。

Shakai wa tsuneni henka shiteimasu

Society is always in constant change.

Society is constantly changing.

• 社会 (shakai) - society
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 常に (tsuneni) - always
• 変化しています (henka shiteimasu) - it's changing

物事は常に変化する。

Monogoto wa tsuneni henka suru

Things always change.

Things always change.

• 物事 (monogoto) - things, subjects
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 常に (tsuneni) - always
• 変化する (henka suru) - change, vary

流行は常に変化しています。

Ryūkō wa tsuneni henka shiteimasu

Fashion is always changing.

The trend is constantly changing.

• 流行 (ryuukou) - Fashion
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 常に (tsuneni) - always
• 変化 (henka) - change
• しています (shiteimasu) - It's running

時代は常に変化しています。

Jidai wa tsuneni henka shiteimasu

Times are always changing.

Times are constantly changing.

• 時代 (jidai) - means "era" in Japanese
• は (wa) - grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 常に (tsuneni) - adverb meaning "always"
• 変化 (henka) - noun that means "change" or "transformation"
• しています (shiteimasu) - compound verb indicating an ongoing action, in this case "is changing"

急激な変化が起こった。

Kyūgeki na henka ga okotta

Uma mudança súbita e drástica ocorreu.

Sudden changes took place.

• 急激な - adjective that means "fast" or "sudden"
• 変化 - noun that means "change" or "transformation"
• が - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 起こった - verb in the past that means "happened" or "occurred"

変化は常に起こる。

Henka wa tsuneni okoru

Change always happens.

Changes always occur.

• 変化 - "mudança" means "change" in Japanese.
• は - it is a grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case "change".
• 常に - it means "always" or "constantly".
• 起こる - means "to occur" or "to happen".

川の流れは常に変化しています。

Kawa no nagare wa tsune ni henka shiteimasu

The river flow is constantly changing.

• 川の流れ - Flowing river
• は - Topic particle
• 常に - always
• 変化しています - mudando

急速な変化が起こっている。

Kyūsoku na henka ga okotte iru

Rapid changes are taking place.

A rapid change is taking place.

• 急速な - Adjective that means "fast"
• 変化 - noun meaning "change"
• が - subject particle
• 起こっている - compound verb that means "is happening"

現代はテクノロジーの進歩によって驚くべき変化を遂げています。

Gendai wa tekunorojī no shinpo ni yotte odorokubeki henka o togete imasu

The modern age has made incredible changes with technological advances.

• 現代 (Gendai) - means "current" or "modern"
• は (wa) - grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• テクノロジー (tekunorojii) - a word borrowed from English meaning "technology"
• の (no) - grammatical particle that indicates possession or relationship
• 進歩 (shinpo) - means "progress" or "advance"
• によって (ni yotte) - expression that indicates the cause or means by which something happens
• 驚くべき (odoroku beki) - adjective meaning "surprising" or "astonishing"
• 変化 (henka) - means "change" or "transformation"
• を (wo) - grammatical particle that indicates the direct object of the sentence
• 遂げています (tasshite imasu) - verb meaning "to accomplish" or "to conclude" in the present progressive tense