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機變

简机变 · 繁機變

Mandarin · pinyin jī biàn

improvisation
flexible
adaptable
pragmatic

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Characters in this entry

機: Look up this written character
變: Look up this written character
机: jī · desk; machine; moment
变: biàn · change, transform, alter; rebel

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–4 · ji1 bian4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

機變 · find source passages ↗ · 机变 · find source passages ↗

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

(literary) to be nimble; to be adaptable to the circumstances
(literary) to be able to resort to plotting and trickery

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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