変える

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 変える is read かえる and is a transitive verb meaning to change a state, content, or similar object.
• Basic usage: It is used for rearranging a room to change one's mood or changing a picnic schedule.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Compared with 変わる
  • 日程を変えた focuses on the act of changing a schedule, while 日程が変わった focuses on the schedule having changed. The former uses 変える; the latter uses the intransitive 変わる(かわる).