変（へん）
JLPT N5 · na-adjective
Pitch accent: atamadaka (head-high) — first mora high, then falls
Meaning: strange / weird
Conjugation
| Form | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| te-form | 変で | へんで |
| ta-form (past) | 変だった | へんだった |
| nai-form (negative) | 変ではない | へんではない |
See the full conjugation table for "変" →
Example sentences
- 今日は変な天気で、雨が降ったりやんだりする。 — The weather is strange today, with rain on and off.
- 台所から変な音が聞こえる。 — A strange noise is coming from the kitchen.
Idioms & proverbs containing “変”
- 君子豹変す (くんしひょうへんす) — A wise man changes his mind, a fool never
- 君子は豹変す (くんしはひょうへんす) — a wise man changes his mind, a fool never; the wise adapt themselves to changed circumstances
- 所変われば品変わる (ところかわればしなかわる) — so many countries, so many customs
- 毒薬変じて薬となる (どくやくへんじてくすりとなる) — what is bad for you might end up good; poison changes into medicine
- 背に腹は変えられない (せにはらはかえられない) — you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs; a small sacrifice may be necessary to solve a more pressing problem
- 桑田変じて滄海となる (そうでんへんじてそうかいとなる) — the world is a scene of constant changes; a mulberry field changes into a blue sea
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “変” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)