变化
change; to change
HSK level
- Pinyin
- biànhuà
- Part of speech
- noun
- Level
- HSK 3
- Strokes
- 12
- Register
- neutral
- Measure word
- 个 / 种
- In episodes
- 2
Stroke order for 变化
变化 is written with 12 strokes (变: 8, 化: 4). The animation replays automatically.
What does 变化 mean?
变化 (biànhuà) means 'change' — both as a noun ('a change') and as an intransitive verb ('to change / transform').
It describes any shift from one state to another: weather, mood, plans, society, prices. It is the neutral, all-purpose word for 'change' and works in conversation, news, and formal writing. Two differences from English: first, 变化 is intransitive — you cannot 变化 something else.
To say 'change X' (transitive), use 改 (gǎi) or 改变 (gǎibiàn): 改变计划 (change a plan), not 变化计划; second, 变化 emphasizes the process or result of changing, while 变 (biàn) alone is a more dynamic verb meaning 'to become / turn into.' Common patterns: 发生变化 (a change occurs), 有变化 (there is a change), 变化很大 (big change). When you see the weather get colder or a city look different after years, 变化 is the word you reach for.
Character by character
Memory hook: Two transformation characters together — 变 (change) and 化 (transform) compound into the noun 'change.'
Hear 变化 in real episodes
变化 appears in 2 Fluentide podcast episodes at natural native speed. Each sentence plays at the easiest difficulty it exists in — switch it to hear the same moment at your level, with full pinyin and English throughout.
到了明年二月底，你会等它自己变化，还是先记得帮它调整？
By the end of February next year, will you wait for it to change on its own, or remember to help it adjust first?
Rolex Padellone Needs One Date Fix a Year
听起来没什么，可是变化很快就来了。
It does not sound like much, but the change came quickly.
Oregon Barley Field Becomes Wetland for 140 Birds
Example sentences
这几年北京的变化很大。
Zhè jǐ nián Běijīng de biànhuà hěn dà.
Beijing has changed a lot in the past few years.
neutral
今天的天气变化很快。
Jīntiān de tiānqì biànhuà hěn kuài.
Today's weather is changing quickly.
spoken
他的心情没有什么变化。
Tā de xīnqíng méiyǒu shénme biànhuà.
His mood hasn't really changed.
neutral
我们的计划发生了一些变化。
Wǒmen de jìhuà fāshēng le yìxiē biànhuà.
Our plan has gone through some changes.
neutral
Common phrases with 变化
Synonyms
改变 is transitive — you can 改变 something: 改变主意 (change one's mind), 改变世界 (change the world). 变化 is intransitive and noun-like — things 变化 on their own. Use 改变 when an agent is doing the changing.
Single-character 变 is more dynamic and often pairs with a result: 变好 (become better), 变冷 (turn cold). 变化 is more abstract and noun-like — the change itself rather than the act of turning into something.
Don't confuse 变化 with
FAQ
Related words from the same episodes
Acquire it by listening
Meet 变化 again — in real Chinese, at your level.
You just saw 变化 in 2 episodes. Fluentide keeps feeding you news episodes at your level, so this word — and thousands like it — resurface in real sentences until they stick. Full pinyin and translation every time. Free to start.