化

huà

Transformation · hua

Also rendered: Transformation (this site; 化 is the process by which one thing becomes another, and in this chapter it is specifically the generating half of a pair) · Change (the ordinary word for it, and the wrong one here: the chapter needs a second word for change and has one, which is 變)

Reviewed · 2026-10-05

At a glance

Pinyin
huà
Simplified
化
Literal
化 huà — to transform, to bring a thing over into something else (《說文》: 化,教行也; the sense of altering comes with 匕, the graph for turning about). The chapter's own definition is four graphs long and it is a definition, not a description: 物生謂之化, a thing's being generated is called transformation. The other half of that sentence is what makes it a definition: 物極謂之變, a thing's reaching its extreme is called change. Twelve occurrences, and the ones that carry the most weight are in the hymn — 肇基化元, the origin of transformation — and in what earth does: 生長化收藏.
Shuowen
**「化」讀 huà,本篇12見**;**「變化」本篇2見:「變化之父母」「夫變化之爲用也」**;**《說文》:化,教行也,从匕从人,匕亦聲**;**「物生謂之化」本篇1見,為本篇所立之名義**;**「變」讀 biàn,本篇4見,與「化」對舉**;**「生」讀 shēng,本篇15見;「物」讀 wù,本篇7見**;**「五味」讀 wǔ wèi,本篇1見,本篇云化生五味**

In brief

The first half of the chapter’s most-quoted sentence, and a half that has to be read with the other: 物生謂之化,物極謂之變. Transformation is what generates; change is what happens at the extreme. The chapter means both to be the same process seen at two points, and the pair bears a great deal of weight in the chapters that follow, because the 運氣 literature is about a system that generates by turns and breaks at its extremes. The site keeps two English words for the two graphs so that the distinction survives.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The graphs 化
化者教行也,引申為變易、生成
物生謂之化 — Suwen 66
2
The definition 物生謂之化
物之生謂之化,物之極謂之變
物生謂之化,物極謂之變 — Suwen 66
3
Its counterpart 物極謂之變
化主生,變主極,二者相對
物極謂之變 — Suwen 66
4
In the triad of heaven, human and earth 在地爲化
在天爲𤣥,在人爲道,在地爲化
在地爲化。 — Suwen 66
5
What it produces 化生五味
化生五味,與道生智、𤣥生神並列
化生五味 — Suwen 66
6
In the round of the year 生、長、化、收、藏
化為地之陰陽五事之一
生、長、化、收、藏,下應之。 — Suwen 66

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display
6 passages
Suwen 66 Suwen 66 · 天元紀大論 Read in context →
故物生謂之化,物極謂之變,陰陽不測謂之神,神用無方謂之聖。 故物生谓之化,物极谓之变,阴阳不测谓之神,神用无方谓之圣。
Gù wù shēng wèi zhī huà, wù jí wèi zhī biàn, yīn yáng bù cè wèi zhī shén, shén yòng wú fāng wèi zhī shèng.
Therefore the coming into being of a thing is called transformation, its reaching the extreme and turning back is called change, the unfathomability of yin and yang is called spirit, and the working of spirit that has no fixed direction is called sagehood.
**「化」本篇12見,此句為其所立之名義**;**「物生謂之化」本篇1見;「物極謂之變」本篇1見**;**「變化」本篇2見:第二段「變化之父母」,第四段「夫變化之爲用也」**;**「物」讀 wù,本篇7見;「生」讀 shēng,本篇15見**;**「極」讀 jí,本篇2見**;**第四段「在天爲𤣥,在人爲道,在地爲化」,化為三者之一**
素問·五運行大論 Suwen 67 · 五運行大論 Read in context →
歧伯曰:東方生風,風生木,木生酸,酸生肝,肝生筋,筋生心。其在天爲𤣥,在人爲道,在地爲化,化生五味,道生智,𤣥生神,化生氣。神在天爲風,在地爲木,在體爲筋,在氣爲柔,在藏爲肝,其性爲暄,其德爲和,其用爲動,其色爲蒼,其化爲榮,其蟲毛,其政爲散,其令宣發,其變摧拉,其眚爲隕,其味爲酸,其志爲怒,怒傷肝,悲勝怒,風傷肝,燥勝風,酸傷筋,辛勝酸。 歧伯曰:东方生风,风生木,木生酸,酸生肝,肝生筋,筋生心。其在天为玄,在人为道,在地为化,化生五味,道生智,玄生神,化生气。神在天为风,在地为木,在体为筋,在气为柔,在藏为肝,其性为暄,其德为和,其用为动,其色为苍,其化为荣,其虫毛,其政为散,其令宣发,其变摧拉,其眚为陨,其味为酸,其志为怒,怒伤肝,悲胜怒,风伤肝,燥胜风,酸伤筋,辛胜酸。
Qí bó yuē: dōng fāng shēng fēng, fēng shēng mù, mù shēng suān, suān shēng gān, gān shēng jīn, jīn shēng xīn. Qí zài tiān wéi xuán, zài rén wéi dào, zài dì wéi huà, huà shēng wǔ wèi, dào shēng zhì, xuán shēng shén, huà shēng qì. Shén zài tiān wéi fēng, zài dì wéi mù, zài tǐ wéi jīn, zài qì wéi róu, zài zàng wéi gān, qí xìng wéi xuān, qí dé wéi hé, qí yòng wéi dòng, qí sè wéi cāng, qí huà wéi róng, qí chóng máo, qí zhèng wéi sàn, qí lìng xuān fā, qí biàn cuī lā, qí shěng wéi yǔn, qí wèi wéi suān, qí zhì wéi nù, nù shāng gān, bēi shèng nù, fēng shāng gān, zào shèng fēng, suān shāng jīn, xīn shèng suān.
Qi Bo said: the east generates wind, wind generates wood, wood generates sour, sour generates the liver, the liver generates the sinews, and the sinews generate the heart. In heaven it is the dark, in the human being it is the dao, in earth it is transformation; transformation generates the five flavours, the dao generates wisdom, the dark generates spirit, and transformation generates qi. Spirit is wind in heaven, wood in earth, sinew in the body, softness in qi, and the liver among the viscera. Its nature is warmth, its virtue harmony, its action movement, its colour blue-green, its transformation flowering, its creature the hairy, its governance dispersal, its command to spread and issue forth, its change to snap and pull, its calamity falling, its flavour sour, and its emotion anger. Anger harms the liver and sorrow overcomes anger; wind harms the liver and dryness overcomes wind; sour harms the sinews and acridity overcomes sour.
「在地爲化,化生五味」——**「化」本篇12見**;**東方一條以「在天爲𤣥,在人爲道,在地爲化」三句起,而「化」當其地之一位**;**「化生五味」「化生氣」是其用,「其化爲榮」是其目**;**與「變」對言:物生謂之化,物極謂之變,見第六十六篇**
素問·六微㫖大論 Suwen 68 · 六微㫖大論 Read in context →
帝曰:何謂邪乎?歧伯曰:夫物之生從於化,物之極由乎變,變化之相薄,成敗之所由也。故氣有往復,用有遲速,四者之有而化而變,風之來也。 帝曰:何谓邪乎?歧伯曰:夫物之生从于化,物之极由乎变,变化之相薄,成败之所由也。故气有往复,用有迟速,四者之有而化而变,风之来也。
Dì yuē: hé wèi xié hū? Qí bó yuē: fú wù zhī shēng cóng yú huà, wù zhī jí yóu hū biàn, biàn huà zhī xiāng bó, chéng bài zhī suǒ yóu yě. Gù qì yǒu wǎng fù, yòng yǒu chí sù, sì zhě zhī yǒu ér huà ér biàn, fēng zhī lái yě.
Huang Di said: what is called evil? Qi Bo said: the birth of a thing follows from transformation; the extreme of a thing comes from change. Transformation and change pressing upon one another is whence success and ruin come. Therefore the qi has going and returning, and its use has slow and swift. These four being present, there is transformation and there is change — and that is how wind comes.
「物之生從於化」——**「化」本篇12見,本段3見**;**「化」讀 huà,與「變」對言:物生謂之化,物極謂之變**;**本篇之化又有「生化」「化滅」之用:第九段「制則生化」,第三十五段「神機化滅」**;**第三十六段「不生不化,靜之期也」是全篇論化之歸宿**
素問·氣交變大論 Suwen 69 · 氣交變大論 Read in context →
帝曰:何謂也?歧伯曰:本氣位也。位天者,天文也,位地者,地理也。通於人氣之變化者,人事也。故太過者先天,不及者後天,所謂治化而人應之也。 帝曰:何谓也?歧伯曰:本气位也。位天者,天文也,位地者,地理也。通于人气之变化者,人事也。故太过者先天,不及者后天,所谓治化而人应之也。
Dì yuē: hé wèi yě? Qí bó yuē: běn qì wèi yě. Wèi tiān zhě, tiān wén yě, wèi dì zhě, dì lǐ yě. Tōng yú rén qì zhī biàn huà zhě, rén shì yě. Gù tài guò zhě xiān tiān, bù jí zhě hòu tiān, suǒ wèi zhì huà ér rén yìng zhī yě.
Huang Di said: what does that mean? Qi Bo said: the root is the position of the qi. What stands in heaven is the pattern of heaven; what stands in earth is the pattern of earth; and to penetrate the changes of human qi is the affairs of human beings. Therefore what is in surplus comes before heaven, and what falls short comes after heaven. This is what is meant by the ordering transformation, and the human being answers to it.
「故太過者先天,不及者後天,所謂治化而人應之也」——**「化」本篇35見,本篇之常用字**;**本篇德、化、政、令、變、災六事並列,五方各一,化居其二**;**化與變對:物生謂之化,物極謂之變;篇末「化者應之,變者復之」即其用**;**「變化」本篇1見,在此句**;**「化」讀 huà**
素問·玉機真藏論 Suwen 19 · 玉機真藏論 Read in context →
然其卒發者,不必治於傳,或其傳化有不以次,不以次入者。憂恐悲喜怒,令不得以其次,故令人有大病矣。 然其卒发者,不必治于传,或其传化有不以次,不以次入者。忧恐悲喜怒,令不得以其次,故令人有大病矣。
Rán qí cù fā zhě, bù bì zhì yú chuán, huò qí chuán huà yǒu bù yǐ cì, bù yǐ cì rù zhě. Yōu kǒng bēi xǐ nù, lìng bù dé yǐ qí cì, gù lìng rén yǒu dà bìng yǐ.
But what erupts suddenly need not be treated by the order of transmission; some transmutations do not follow the sequence, entering out of order. Grief, fear, sorrow, joy and anger prevent it from keeping its order, and so bring on great disease.
「其傳化有不以次」,病之傳化本有次第,而卒發者或不以次入。本篇以「傳化」與「傳乘」並言,皆五藏相傳之目。
Suwen 70 Suwen 70 · 五常政大論 Read in context →
故生而勿殺,長而勿罰,化而勿制,收而勿害,藏而勿抑,是謂平氣。 故生而勿杀,长而勿罚,化而勿制,收而勿害,藏而勿抑,是谓平气。
Gù shēng ér wù shā, zhǎng ér wù fá, huà ér wù zhì, shōu ér wù hài, cáng ér wù yì, shì wèi píng qì.
Therefore let what is to be born not be killed, what is to grow not be punished, what is to transform not be checked, what is to be harvested not be harmed, and what is to be stored not be repressed: this is called the even qi.
**「化」本篇59見**;**此段「化而勿制」為五「勿」之一,五平紀之化皆歸於此**

Compounds built on this term

變
biàn
change
本篇4見;物極謂之變,與化物生相對
變化
biàn huà
change and transformation
本篇2見;本篇以為天地萬物之父母
化元
huà yuán
the origin of transformation
本篇1見;太虚之所肇基
五味
wǔ wèi
five flavours
本篇1見;本篇云化生五味

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This sitetransformationkept for 化 and reserved for it, so that 化 and 變 do not collapse into the same English word; the chapter's sentence is a distinction and it has to survive translation
Later usagehua, transformationhow the word is glossed in writing on the 運氣 chapters; the same reading, and usually without the pair
Descriptivegenerationwhat 物生謂之化 actually says; helpful, and it loses the second half of the chapter's point, which is that the same process at its extreme is 變

Entry status

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2026-10-05

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