How to say "vary" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 違うちがうgodan verb, intransitive verbThe plain word for saying that things are different: it covers 'vary' only in the static sense of differing from one another, not the sense of something changing over time.
- 変わるかわるgodan verb, intransitive verbCovers intransitive 'vary': something itself changes or is altered, whether over time or from case to case. Typical when saying that prices, conditions or plans vary.
- 変えるかえるichidan verb, transitive verbThe transitive verb: someone changes, alters or varies something. It matches 'vary' only in that active sense, as in varying a routine; for things that vary by themselves it is not the word.
- 異なることなるgodan verb, intransitive verbCovers 'vary' as 'differ': things are not the same from case to case, as with results or opinions that vary. It can also mean 'to disagree', people holding different views.
Use 「違う」 or 「異なる」 when things simply differ from one another, 「変わる」 when something itself changes or varies over time or from case to case, and 「変える」 when someone changes or varies something.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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