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Kanji Detail for 化 - "to transform, to change"

化

  • Meaning

    化 means "to transform, to change." Also associated with to bewitch.

    1. Transform - To change form; to become different.

    2. Change - To alter; to convert into something new.

    3. Bewitch - To enchant; to deceive with magic.

    4. Influence - To guide and change someone's thinking.

  • Words using 化

    • 変化 へんか Listen change; variation; alteration
    • 強化 きょうか Listen strengthening; intensifying; reinforcement
    • 文化 ぶんか Listen culture; civilization; civilisation
    • 化学 かがく Listen chemistry
    • 悪化 あっか Listen deterioration; getting worse; worsening
    • 酸化 さんか Listen oxidation; oxidization
    • 合理化 ごうりか Listen rationalization; making (something) conform to reason; justification
    • 国際化 こくさいか Listen internationalization; internationalisation

  • Four-character idioms with 化

    • 文明開化 ぶんめいかいか Listen civilization and enlightenment; Japan's Westernization movement during the Meiji era (Westernisation)
    • 千変万化 せんぺんばんか Listen innumerable changes; infinite variety
    • 同化作用 どうかさよう Listen assimilation; metabolism; anabolism
    • 妖怪変化 ようかいへんげ Listen monstrous apparition; terrifying creature; incomprehensible horror
    • 羽化登仙 うかとうせん Listen a sense of release (as if one had wings and were riding on air)

  • Tattoo check: 化

    • Verified meaning: to transform, to change
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read ふあ)
    • Also carries these associations: to bewitch

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 化

    Surnames 化(ふあ)Listen

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    change; take the form of; influence; enchant; delude; -ization

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    change, convert, reform; -ize

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    variant of 花[hua1]

    Make Me a Hanzi Open-source Chinese character data

    to change, to convert, to reform; -ize

    XSZD Xuéshēng Zìdiǎn (學生字典) - Student's Dictionary

    Intangible change. Such as 化身 (incarnation), 化粧 (makeup), meaning changing form and nature. When this perishes and that arises, it's called 化. Such as 朽腐化為神奇 (the rotten transforms into the miraculous), 神奇復化為朽腐 (the miraculous returns to rotten). Hence chicks hatching is called 孵化; ascending to heaven is called 羽化. Also, gradually decreasing from having to not having is called 化. Such as 大事化為小事 (big matters become small), 小事化為無事 (small matters become nothing). Hence material wearing away is called 消化; by fire is called 焚化; by water is called 溶化; when people die it's also called 化去; when property is consumed it's called 化為烏有. Also, when matter separates and combines, both are called 化. Such as in science, analyzing the elements of all things or fusing them to make other things is called 化學 (chemistry). The situations vary, hence the comprehensive term for things changing unpredictably is 出神入化. | Heaven and earth are called 造化 or 化工, meaning what creates and destroys all things. | To transform through influence. Changing nature and improving customs is called 化. Such as 教化 (education), 王化 (royal influence), meaning guiding and prohibiting to make people comply. Influencing through kindness is called 德化; through governance is called 風化; through ritual education is called 文化. Hence people outside the borders who don't follow teachings are called 化外, meaning beyond the reach of education and royal influence. Those who are influenced and conform are called 同化 (assimilated). | To beg is called 化. Such as 化募 (solicit alms), 化緣 (beg for contributions), meaning using moral or poverty-related words to influence people to perform charitable acts.

  • Onyomi

    tip

    ka(カ) カ

    ke(ケ) ケ

  • Kunyomi

    tip

    ba.kasu(ば-かす) ば-かす

    ba.keru(ば-ける) ば-ける

    fu.keru(ふ-ける) ふ-ける

    ke.suru(け-する) け-する

  • Strokes

    tip

    4 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    人 亻 (hito・nimben・hitogashira・hitoyane)匕 (hi・saji・sajinohi)

  • Related Keywords

    transform change bewitch create guide influence magic convert adapt alter become deceive educate enchant evolve metamorphose modify mutate reform shift

Sentences including 化

  • She makes herself up every morning.

  • A great change has come about after the war.

  • Is it getting worse?

  • His dream is to study chemistry in the us.

  • It's fun to learn about foreign cultures.

  • I'm not a bit interested in chemistry.

  • I have little knowledge of biochemistry.

  • I don't like a world where things change so slowly.

  • She makes up in public.

  • There are many cultures on earth.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

More kanji with the radical 人 亻 (hito・nimben・hitogashira・hitoyane)

See all kanji with this radical →

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