变异
biànyì · HSK 7
variation
🧬 biàn (change) + yì (differ) = variation, a change that differs from the norm
The first character 变 means change or transform, while 异 means different or unusual. Together they describe something that has changed to become different — a variation or mutation, often used in biology.
变 — top 䜌 (phonetic) + bottom 又 (hand)
Originally written 變, a phonosemantic compound: 䜌 (luán) gives the sound while 攵 (a hand with a stick) suggested the action of changing or transforming. The simplified form 变 keeps the phonetic top in reduced shape over 又 (hand). Core meaning: to change, transform, or alter.