What is the Kanji for "Change"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Change", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Change" is "化".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Ba".

Its onyomi readings are "Ke" and "Ka".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The radical "亻" means "Person" . And The radical "匕" means "Spoon" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "化" mean in japanese?

"化" means "Change".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N3 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

化: "Change into". The Japanese suffix '化 (か)' means 'change into'. It is used to change nouns into adjectives that describe the state or condition of something becoming the noun it is attached to. For example: アメリカ化 (amerikaka) - Americanization (change into American), 工業化 (kōgyōka) - industrialization (change into an industry).

文化: "Culture". The noun '文化 (ぶんか)' refers to the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group. It encompasses the shared patterns of behavior and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned and transmitted within a human group. For example: Japanese culture is very unique - (日本の文化はとてもユニークです). The study of culture is an important part of anthropology - (文化の研究は人類学の重要な部分です).

変化: "Change". The verbal noun '変化 (へんか)' means 'change'. This word expresses the process or act of something undergoing transformation, modification, or transition from one state to another. It can refer to changes in physical appearance, behavior, circumstances, or any other aspect of something. For example: The weather has undergone a dramatic change - (天気が大きな変化をしました). The company went through many changes last year - (その会社は昨年大きな変化があった).

強化: "Strengthen". The verbal noun '強化 (きょうか)' means 'to strengthen'. This term refers to the act of making something or someone stronger, more powerful, or more effective. It can be used in various contexts, such as reinforcing a structure, intensifying an effort, or enhancing a skill. For example: The company will strengthen its security measures - (その会社は自社のセキュリティを強化するだろう). We need to strengthen our defenses against the enemy attack - (敵の攻撃に備えて私たちの防御力を強化する必要がある).

化粧: "Makeup". The Japanese verbal noun '化粧 (けしょう)' means 'makeup'. This refers to the practice of applying cosmetic products to the face and body to enhance one's appearance. It is commonly used to describe the process of applying foundation, powder, eye makeup, lipstick, etc. Example: She applies makeup every morning - (彼女は毎朝化粧をする).

化学: "Chemistry". The Japanese noun '化学 (かがく)' means 'chemistry'. It refers to the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter and energy, and of the related phenomena. Chemistry is a branch of natural science that deals with the composition, structure, properties, and behavior of matter. For example: I study chemistry - (化学を勉強しています). Chemistry is an important subject - (化学は重要な科目です).

悪化: "Worsen". The verbal noun '悪化 (あっか)' means 'to worsen'. This term is used to describe a situation or condition that is declining or getting worse over time. For example: The patient's condition worsened - (患者の状態が悪化した). The weather worsened and it started raining heavily - (天気が悪化して激しい雨が降り始めた).

消化: "Digestion". The verbal noun '消化 (しょうか)' refers to the process of breaking down food into simpler components that can be absorbed by the body. It encompasses the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food in the digestive system. This word can be used to describe the overall digestive process or to refer to the specific digestion of a particular food item. For example: Good digestion is important for health - (良い消化は健康にとって大切だ). Her stomach had trouble digesting the rich meal - (彼女の胃は高カロリーの食事を消化するのに苦労した).

国際化: "Internationalization". The Japanese verbal noun '国際化 (こくさいか)' means 'internationalization'. This term refers to the process of making something more international or global in scope. This can be applied to businesses, organizations, or even individual behavior and mindsets. Examples: The company is undergoing internationalization - (その会社は国際化を経ています). Internationalization of education is an important goal - (教育の国際化は重要な目標です).

酸化: "Oxidation". The Japanese noun '酸化 (さんか)' means 'oxidation'. It refers to the chemical process where a substance combines with oxygen, often resulting in the formation of a new compound. Oxidation reactions are fundamental in many areas of science and industry. For example: Rusting is an oxidation reaction - (さびることは酸化反応である). Photosynthesis involves oxidation and reduction - (光合成は酸化還元反応を含む).

進化: "Evolution". The Japanese noun '進化 (しんか)' means 'evolution'. This word refers to the process of gradual change and development in organisms over successive generations, driven by natural selection. It can be used to describe the evolution of species, as well as the evolution of ideas, technologies, or other phenomena. For example: The evolution of the smartphone - (スマートフォンの進化). Darwin's theory of evolution - (ダーウィンの進化の理論).

文化的: "Cultural". The Japanese adjective '文化的 (ぶんかてき)' means 'cultural'. It is used to describe something related to or characterized by culture, such as customs, arts, social institutions, etc. It can be used to describe things like cultural events, cultural diversity, cultural heritage, and more. For example: The performance had a very cultural atmosphere - (そのパフォーマンスは非常に文化的な雰囲気だった). This city is known for its rich cultural history - (この街は豊かな文化的歴史で知られている).

化する: "Become". The Japanese verb '化する (かする)' means 'to become'. This verb is used to describe a transformation or change of state, where something changes into a different form or condition. It can be used with a variety of nouns to indicate a change in the nature or essence of something. For example: Become a doctor - (医者に化する). The water became ice - (水が氷に化した).

文化財: "Cultural property". The Japanese noun '文化財 (ぶんかざい)' refers to cultural properties of significant historical, artistic, or cultural value. This can include things like historic buildings, archaeological sites, artworks, and other items that are considered part of a country's cultural heritage. These properties are usually designated and protected by the government to preserve them for future generations. For example: The preservation of cultural properties is important - (文化財の保護は重要だ). The museum displays many important cultural properties - (その博物館は多くの重要な文化財を展示している).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "け" is read as "ke". The hiragana "か" is read as "ka". And The hiragana "ば" is read as "ba".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.