變 / 变
bin³
The Cantonese verb for 'to change' is 變 / 变 (bin³). If unsure, use 變 / 变. Wiktionary also lists 變成 / 变成.
Meaning: to become something different (verb)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 變 / 变 | bin³ |
| 變成 / 变成 |
The verb 變 / 变 describes the process of becoming something different. When you want to specify that something transforms into a particular state or object, you should use 變成 / 变成 to mean 'to become' or 'to turn into'.
Which one should you use?
變 / 变 is the general term for 'to change', whereas 變成 / 变成 is used specifically to express the result of turning into a specific state or object.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong, the term 轉變 is commonly used to convey the idea of change.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that a change has already occurred, you can add the aspect particle 咗 after 變 / 变 to form 變咗, meaning 'changed' or 'has become'.
How do you pronounce it?
bin³
Did you know?
- While 變 means 'change', the word 變態 uses this root to mean 'pervert' or 'abnormal'. It literally describes a 'change in state' or 'transformation' that has gone wrong.
- While 變 is used for transformation, Cantonese uses a different word, 換, for changing something like a lightbulb or clothes. Using 變 in those cases would imply the object magically transformed into something else.
- In Cantonese, the phrase 變色龍 refers to a chameleon. The word for 'change' is combined with 'color' and 'dragon' to describe the animal's ability to blend in.
Examples in context
- 我想轉變自己嘅觀點。I want to change my perspective.
- 佢變咗個人He has become a different person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “change” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
