This is the 409th most frequent Chinese word.
化
"化" means "to transform," "to change," or "-ize" (suffix indicating transformation).
化: indicating the process of transformation or conversion.
水变成了蒸汽化为云。
The water turned into vapor and transformed into clouds.
化: used as a suffix to mean 'to modernize,' indicating a process of change.
社会正在快速现代化。
Society is rapidly modernizing.
化: used metaphorically to mean becoming a certain state, here expressing emotions.