Grammar Info

N4 Lesson 9: 15/16

化(か)する-ification, -ization, To make something, To change, To become, Transform into

Structure

Noun + 化(か)(する)
Noun + 化(か) + する(1) + Noun

(1) した、の

Details

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About 化する

化(か) by itself is a suffix in Japanese which means 'to change', or 'to transform'. When paired with する, it means 'to transform into (A)', where (A) is the noun that 化(か) is connected to. This structure is regularly translated as '~ification', or '~ization', and similar suffixes in English.

When the する is connected to another noun, it may occasionally appear as した, or with の attached to the end of it. This will indicate that there is a relationship between (B) and (A).

However, in formal/scientific writing, the する (and の) may sometimes be dropped.

Examples

--:--

    それは単純(たんじゅん)化(か)した英語(えいご)のように見(み)える。

    It appears to be simplified English.
    (change/transform into)

    ２０(にじゅっ)世紀(せいき)には経済(けいざい)成長(せいちょう)の原因(げんいん)の一(ひと)つは自動(じどう)化(か)だと考(かんが)えられている。

    It is considered that automation is one of the sources of economic growth in the 20th century.
    (change/transform into)

    お父(とう)さん、アプリはこうやって最小(さいしょう)化(か)するの。

    Dad, you minimize apps like this.
    (change/transform into)

    その新(あら)たなタイプの電池(でんち)が商品(しょうひん)化(か)する計画(けいかく)があると言(い)われている。

    It is said that there are already plans to commercialize that new type of battery.
    (change/transform into)

    プラスチックを液(えき)化(か)する方法(ほうほう)はエネルギ産業(さんぎょう)を一変(いっぺん)させるかもしれない。

    The plastic liquefaction method might revolutionize the energy industry.
    (change/transform into)

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化する – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (13 in total)

  • semanticman

    semanticman

    If this is indeed true, then the upshot is that the explanation of this grammar point is very bad and should be re-written. The only example of using 化 on its own as a suffix is accompanied by this:

    However, in formal/scientific writing, the する (and の) may sometimes be dropped.

    日本では高齢化が進んでいる。
    In Japan, the population is aging progressively.

    Is there a way we can flag this discussion for the editorial team? I don’t know if it’s cool to @ just anyone.

  • nekoyama

    nekoyama

    You can at the people with a bunpro logo in their icon, they usually aren’t offended by customers asking questions about their product!

    In the sentence you quoted maybe a translation along the lines of “the aging of the population is progressing” would make it easier to map the parts?

    But this grammar point tends to produce weird translations if they’re too literal. For example, the 高齢化 has a companion, the 少子化 (small-number-of-children-ification of a society) and they’re often grouped together as 少子高齢化 too. In English we’d probably have to split that up again to make sense.

    If you want more examples, another one that tends to come up in JLPT questions is 地球温暖化 (global warming). Or look at chemicals, those can be kind of easy to map to English. E.g. 酸素 is oxygen and 酸化 is oxidation. So something like carbon dioxide becomes 二酸化炭素 (~twice oxidized carbon), etc. Maybe a bit above N4 now that I think about it.

  • semanticman

    semanticman

    Yeah I guess I’ll just @Asher because I’m familiar with him from the book club threads, I’m just not sure if this is his area of responsibility.

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