化

Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 化 (huà) is composed of two parts: the radical 氵(shuǐ), which represents water, and the phonetic component 化 (huà), which is a simplified form of the character 汧 (huà), which means "to change" or "to transform". The character 化 has a rich history and has been used in Chinese for thousands of years. It is used in a variety of contexts, including to describe changes in state, such as the melting of ice or the evaporation of water, as well as to describe changes in form, such as the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. The character 化 can also be used to describe changes in character or personality, such as the transformation of a person from being selfish to being selfless. In addition to its literal meaning, the character 化 also has a number of figurative meanings, such as "to educate" or "to civilize". The character 化 is a versatile and important character in Chinese, and it is used in a wide variety of contexts.