How to say "mutation" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 変転へんてんnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers 'mutation' in the sense of constant shifting or transition of states and circumstances. It carries a literary, abstract nuance of things changing unpredictably over time, as in the vicissitudes of fortune or society.
- 突然変異とつぜんへんいnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe word for 'mutation' in biology and genetics: a sudden change in genes, cells, or organisms. If you mean a genetic mutation or a mutant, this is almost always the word you want.
- 変化へんかnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe general-purpose word for change, variation, or alteration. It only covers 'mutation' loosely, as one kind of change among many; for a true biological mutation, 突然変異 is the precise term.
- 変移へんいnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers 'mutation' as change, alteration, or transmutation in an abstract sense, often of conditions, attitudes, or states gradually shifting. It is relatively literary, and for everyday change 変化 is the usual choice.
Use 突然変異 for biological or genetic mutations, 変化 for change or variation in general, and treat 変転 and 変移 as broader, more literary words for shifting or transition.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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