na-adjective
strange; odd; weird; suspicious
Broad adjectival use for things, situations, or behavior that feel off, unusual, or questionable.
彼の話し方はちょっと変だ。
His way of speaking is a little strange.
このスープ、変な味がする。
This soup tastes weird.
na-adjective
Describes something that deviates from what one expected; often used when something is out of the ordinary but not necessarily negative.
こんな時間に電話がかかってくるなんて変だ。
It's unusual to get a call at this hour.
noun
Noun meaning a change or modification; often used in compounds like 変わる (to change) or 変更 (change, modification).
この計画に変はない。
There is no change to this plan.
noun
incident; disturbance; emergency
Refers to an unusual or troublesome event; often used in set phrases like 変事 (unusual event) or 一大変 (a serious incident).
何か変があったらすぐに知らせてください。
If anything unusual happens, please let me know immediately.
noun, used as a prefix
Prefix used in musical terms to indicate a flat note, e.g., 変ロ (B-flat).
変ロ短調の曲を練習している。
I'm practicing a piece in B-flat minor.
Old-form kanji; included for search compatibility.
奇妙 is more formal and emphasizes peculiarity or queerness, while 変 is a broader, everyday word for anything odd or unusual.
おかしい can mean funny, laughable, or suspicious; 変 focuses more on strangeness or deviation from the norm.
変更 is a common compound noun meaning a change or modification, while 変 as a standalone noun for 'change' is less common and often appears in fixed expressions.
The kanji 変 originally means 'change' or 'strange'. The adjectival noun usage developed from the idea of something being altered or unusual. The musical sense is a borrowing from Chinese usage.