biến thái

Vietnamese

Etymology

Sino-Vietnamese word from 變態, composed of 變 (“to change”) and 態 (“state”), from Japanese 変態 (hentai), from Literary Chinese 變態 (biàntài, “to transform”). First used as an entomological term in publications by the Entomological Society of Japan, with later non-entomological applications in the broader zoology and botany. The narrower sense, "abnormal" is attested in Chinese works, such as those by Mao Dun, but the strictest sense, "abnormal sexual tendency," is from a contraction of Japanese 変態性欲 (hentai seiyoku, literally “abnormal sexual desire”). This may have been due to a reinterpretation of 変 (hen) as a 形容動詞 (keiyō dōshi, “adjectival verb”) meaning "strange," hence "strange state" rather than "change state." It was adopted into Vietnamese through the popularity of manga and anime. English hentai is also used as the name for "hardcore" manga/anime porn.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓiən˧˦ tʰaːj˧˦]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓiəŋ˦˧˥ tʰaːj˨˩˦]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʔɓiəŋ˦˥ tʰaːj˦˥]

Noun

biến thái

1. (zoology) metamorphosis

   biến thái hoàn toàn

   complete metamorphosis

   biến thái không hoàn toàn

   incomplete metamorphosis

Verb

biến thái

1. (zoology) to metamorphose

Adjective

biến thái

1. (informal, humorous) sexually perverted or deviant

   Synonyms: dê, dê xồm, đồi truỵ

   Cái thằng này biến thái quá đi!

   You're such a sexual freak, you know that?