変態

Etymology

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," - from a contraction of 変態性欲 (hentai seiyoku, literally “abnormal sexual desire”) - 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."

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) へんたい [hèńtáí] (Heiban – [0])^[1]
• IPA^(key): [hẽ̞nta̠i]

Noun

変(へん)態(たい) • (hentai) 

1. metamorphosis, transformation

   かぶとむしは完(かん)全(ぜん)変(へん)態(たい)する昆(こん)虫(ちゅう)だ。

   Kabutomushi wa kanzen hentai suru konchū da.

   Beetles are insects with complete metamorphosis.

2. abnormality
3. (sexuality) Short for 変態性欲 (hentai seiyoku, “sexual perversion”).

   (Can we add an example for this sense?)

4. (informal) pervert^{[note 1]}

   この変(へん)態(たい)！

   Kono hentai!

   You pervert!

   • 2016, Aluda, 【毎月七日はルーミアの日】ルーミアちょっとスカートの中見せろ‎:

     「そんな事(こと)よりルーミア、勝(か)ったんだからちょっとスカートの中(なか)見(み)せろ。」
     「いきなり何(なに)言(い)ってんだこいつ？　変(へん)態(たい)か？」
     「安(あん)心(しん)しろ、私(わたし)は変(へん)態(たい)じゃない。ちょっと妖(よう)怪(かい)のスカートの中(なか)がどうなっているか知(し)りたいだけだ。」
     「そ～なのか～　って、やっぱり変(へん)態(たい)じゃねぇか！」

     “Sonna koto yori Rūmia, katta n da kara chotto sukāto no naka misero.”
     “Ikinari nani itten da koitsu? Hentai ka?”
     “Anshin shiro, watashi wa hentai ja nai. Chotto yōkai no sukāto no naka ga dō natte iru ka shiritai dake da.”
     “So~ na no ka~ tte, yappari hentai ja nē ka!”

     “That aside, Rumia, since I won, let me see what's under your skirt.”
     “What are you saying all of a sudden? Are you a pervert?”
     “Rest assured, I'm not a pervert. I just want to know what's under the skirt of a yōkai.”
     “Is that so... Hey, so you really are a pervert!”

Notes

References

• 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.