change · transform

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 化 expresses change or transformation and is read か in 化学.
• Basic usage: 化学 names the field of chemistry, 化石 means fossil, and 化粧 means makeup.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• か and け
  • 化学 is read かがく, while 化粧 is read けしょう. The reading of 化 differs between these words.
• Learning whole-word meanings
  • 化石 is read かせき and can refer to a fish or leaf fossil.