The word 变形 is formed by combining two independent characters, each carrying its own core meaning, into a new conceptual unit. The first character, 变 (biàn), fundamentally means "to change" or "to transform". It is placed alongside the second character, 形 (xíng), which means "shape", "form", or "appearance". When written and read as a single unit, the combination directly and pictorially conveys the concept of "changing shape" or "transformation", where the meaning of the whole is a transparent synthesis of the meanings of its two parts.