变成

• Pinyin: biàn chéng
• Hanzi breakdown: 变 (biàn) — to change; 成 (chéng) — to become, to complete, to succeed

Meaning

To become; to turn into; to change into. A resultative verb compound indicating a completed transformation.

Always followed by the new state or result. The 成 functions as a resultative complement indicating the change is completed.

Examples

1. 毛毛虫变成了蝴蝶。 The caterpillar turned into a butterfly.
2. 他们的友谊慢慢变成了爱情。 Their friendship slowly turned into love.
3. 小镇变成了一座大城市。 The small town has become a large city.

Usage Guide

Context: transformation, growth, stories, science

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 水变成了冰。(Water turned into ice.)
• 她变成了一名医生。(She became a doctor.)

Don't Say

• Avoid omitting the result after 变成 — the verb requires an object indicating the new state, so 它变成了 without a complement is incomplete.

Origin & History

Compound of 变 (biàn, to change) + 成 (chéng, to become/complete). The 成 indicates the change is completed.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal