转型
zhuǎnxíng · HSK 7
transform
🐛🦋 转型 = 转 (turn) + 型 (form/type) → turning into a new form: transformation
转 means to turn or switch; 型 means type, model, or shape. Together they name a shift from one form to another — a company or career that turns onto a new track.
转 — car radical 车 + 专 (phonetic)
转 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The left side 车 (cart/wheel) gives the meaning, evoking something that turns or rotates like a wheel. The right side 专 supplies the sound. Originally referring to the turning of a cart's wheels, it broadened to mean 'turn,' 'rotate,' or 'shift' in general.
型 — earth 土 + 刑 (xíng, phonetic)
型 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The 土 (earth) component points to its original meaning: a clay or earthen mold used for casting. The right side 刑 supplies the sound. From 'casting mold' it broadened to mean 'model, type, pattern' in modern usage.