変身 (henshin) Japanese meaning: transformation | Kotomora

変へん身しん

へ

ん

し

ん

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

変身する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	変へん身しんする	変へん身しんしない
Polite	変へん身しんします	変へん身しんしません
Past polite	変へん身しんしました	変へん身しんしませんでした
Past	変へん身しんした	変へん身しんしなかった
Te-form	変へん身しんして	変へん身しんしないで
Desire	変へん身しんしたい	変へん身しんしたくない
Potential	変へん身しんできる	変へん身しんできない
Passive	変へん身しんされる	変へん身しんされない
Causative	変へん身しんさせる	変へん身しんさせない
Causative passive	変へん身しんさせられる	変へん身しんさせられない
Volitional	変へん身しんしよう
Polite volitional	変へん身しんしましょう
Imperative	変へん身しんしろ	変へん身しんするな
Conditional	変へん身しんすれば	変へん身しんしなければ
Tara conditional	変へん身しんしたら	変へん身しんしなかったら

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

transformation; metamorphosis; shapeshifting

Covers physical transformation, disguise, and fantastical shapeshifting. Often used in fiction, but also for real changes in appearance or form.

魔ま法ほうでカエルに変

Kanji

変unusual, change, strange
身somebody, person, one's station in life

Related words· 8

変へん化かN3
変化 refers to any change or variation, while 変身 specifically means a transformation of physical form or appearance, often dramatic.
変へん貌ぼうN1
変貌 emphasizes becoming unrecognizably different in appearance or character, whereas 変身 stresses the act of taking on a new form, often in fiction.
化ばけるN1
化ける is a colloquial verb for taking on another form, often implying disguise or trickery, while 変身 is the more neutral, formal noun for transformation.
変へん装そう
変装 means disguising oneself with costume or makeup without truly changing form, while 変身 implies an actual change in shape or identity.

Show 4 more

化ばけ
変身 is a neutral, everyday word for changing form (e.g., a superhero's transformation), while 化け carries a nuance of deception or the supernatural.
変へん態たい
変身 is the common word for a person or character changing appearance or identity, while 変態 sounds more formal or biological for transformation of form.
変へん形けいN1
変身 refers to a person or creature transforming into a different appearance or identity, while 変形 is more general and applies to objects, shapes, or structures.
転てん身しんN1
変身 describes an outward or physical transformation (such as a costume change or metamorphosis), whereas 転身 refers to a change in social role or life direction.

Don't confuse with

変へん心しん
変心 (also read へんしん) means a change of heart or mind, while 変身 means a physical transformation of form or appearance; the two are unrelated homophones.
分ぶん身しん
変身 means to physically transform or change form, whereas 分身 refers to a separate entity that embodies part of oneself, such as an alter ego.

Word family

変へん身しん譚たん
story of metamorphosis; transformation tale
大だい変へん身しん
dramatic transformation; complete makeover; major change
変へん身しん願がん望ぼう
desire to change one's appearance; obsession with transformation
変へん身しんベルト
transformation belt; superhero belt

Written forms

変へん身しんUsage97%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
へんしんUsage3%

Etymology

Compound of 変 (hen, 'change') and 身 (shin, 'body'). The reading is on'yomi. The word has been used since at least the early modern period to refer to physical transformation.