化 huà change
change; to transform; to melt; -ize
How to remember 化: 亻 person + 𠤎 spoon = change. The shy person who learned to cook with a wooden spoon now runs her own restaurant, and her friends can hardly believe the change.
Component breakdown
化 = 亻 person + 𠤎 spoon
- 亻 person
- 𠤎 spoon
The shy person who learned to cook with a wooden spoon now runs her own restaurant, and her friends can hardly believe the change.
How it came to be
Two people side by side, the second one drawn upside down. One figure turning over into the other is the whole idea: the plainest picture of change the script has.
How it is used
- Verb 'transform/melt' and the productive suffix '-ize/-ify' - 现代化 (xiàndàihuà) modernize, 优化 (yōuhuà) optimize, 美化 (měihuà) beautify.
- As a standalone process word: 冰化了 (bīng huà le) the ice melted, 消化 (xiāohuà) digest.
- 文化 (wénhuà) culture and 化学 (huàxué) chemistry both hinge on 'transformation'; 化妆 (huàzhuāng) = put on makeup, not 'change clothes'.
Characters built with 化
Words with 化
- 变化biànhuàchangeHSK 3
- 文化wénhuàcultureHSK 3
- 化学huàxuéchemistryHSK 5
- 消化xiāohuàto digest (food)HSK 5
- 现代化xiàndàihuàmodernizationHSK 5
- 二氧化碳èryǎnghuàtàncarbon dioxide CO2HSK 6
- 优化yōuhuàto optimizeHSK 6
- 化妆huàzhuāngto put on makeupHSK 6
- 化石huàshífossilHSK 6
- 强化qiánghuàto strengthenHSK 6
- 数字化shùzìhuàto digitizeHSK 6
- 简化jiǎnhuàto simplifyHSK 6
- 绿化lǜhuàto make green with plantsHSK 6
- 融化rónghuàto meltHSK 6
- 进化jìnhuàevolutionHSK 6
- 净化jìnghuàto purifyHSK 7
- 分化fēnhuàto split apartHSK 7
- 化解huàjiěto dissolveHSK 7
- 化身huàshēnincarnationHSK 7
- 化验huàyànchemical examinationHSK 7
- 千变万化qiānbiàn-wànhuàcountless changesHSK 7
- 深化shēnhuàto deepenHSK 7
- 演化yǎnhuàto evolveHSK 7
- 激化jīhuàto intensifyHSK 7
- 美化měihuàto make more beautifulHSK 7
- 老化lǎohuàto ageHSK 7
- 转化zhuǎnhuàto changeHSK 7
- 量化liànghuàto quantifyHSK 7
- 僵化jiānghuàto become rigidHSK 8
- 化肥huàféichemical fertilizerHSK 8
- 化险为夷huàxiǎnwéiyíto turn peril into safety (idiom)HSK 8
- 固化gùhuàto solidifyHSK 8
- 孵化fūhuàbreedingHSK 8
- 恶化èhuàto worsenHSK 8
- 淡化dànhuàto water downHSK 9
- 潜移默化qiányí-mòhuàimperceptible influenceHSK 9
- 退化tuìhuàto degenerateHSK 9
Example sentences
- 他很有文化。 Tā hěn yǒu wénhuà.He's very well-cultured.
- 这几年上海的变化很快。 Zhè jǐ nián Shànghǎi de biànhuà hěn kuài.Shanghai has changed rapidly the last few years.
- 文化交流很重要。 Wénhuà jiāoliú hěn zhòngyào.Cultural exchange is important.