変わる

• Reading: かわる
• Romaji: kawaru
• Kanji breakdown: 変 (hen/ka) — change, strange, unusual
• Pronunciation: /ka.wa.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To change; to be transformed; to vary. Describes something undergoing change on its own.

A Group 1 (godan) intransitive verb. Describes change happening to something without an agent causing it. Forms a transitive-intransitive pair with 変える (kaeru, to change something). Common patterns: 季節が変わる (the season changes), 気持ちが変わる (feelings change).

Examples

1. 季節が変わって涼しくなりました。 The season changed and it got cooler.
2. この町は十年で大きく変わった。 This town changed a lot in ten years.
3. 天気が急に変わりましたね。 The weather changed suddenly, didn't it?

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, weather, seasons

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The kanji 変 historically depicted a tangled thread being transformed, representing the concept of alteration and change from one state to another.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal