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豹変 (ひょうへん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb
sudden change ; complete change
Often used for a drastic change in attitude, behavior, or appearance, sometimes with a negative connotation of inconsistency or betrayal. Can be used as a noun or with する as an intransitive verb.
選せん
挙きょ
後ご
に
豹ひょう
変へん
し
た
。
The politician did a complete about-face after the election.
Written forms 豹ひょう 変へん Usage 98%
ひょう 変へん Usage 2%
search-only kanji form
Search-only form; not a standard written variant.
Kanji 変 unusual, change, strange Similar words 一いっ 変ぺん 一変 means a complete change as well, but is more neutral and often used for situations or appearances, while 豹変 often implies a sudden, drastic, and sometimes negative change in a person's attitude or behavior.
急きゅう 変へん 急変 emphasizes suddenness and is often used for weather, conditions, or medical emergencies, whereas 豹変 is more about a person's character or stance.
Etymology From the Chinese idiom 君子豹変 (kunshi hyōhen), meaning a wise person quickly corrects their mistakes, like a leopard's spots becoming more distinct after shedding. In modern Japanese, it has shifted to mean a sudden, often negative, change in attitude or behavior.
