The translate function moves an element from its current position along the x and/or y axis. This can be particularly useful for creating animations or adjusting the layout of elements without affecting the document flow. For example, transform: translate(50px, 100px); would move an element 50 pixels to the right and 100 pixels down.
The rotate function rotates an element around a specified point. By default, this point is the center of the element, but it can be changed using the transform-origin property. The rotation is specified in degrees, with positive values rotating the element clockwise and negative values rotating it counterclockwise. For instance, transform: rotate(45deg); would rotate an element 45 degrees clockwise.
The scale function resizes an element by a specified factor. This can be done independently for the x and y axes, or uniformly for both. For example, transform: scale(2); would double the size of an element, while transform: scale(1.5, 0.5); would increase the width by 50% and decrease the height by 50%.
The skew function distorts an element by skewing it along the x and/or y axis. This is specified in degrees, with positive values skewing the element in a clockwise direction and negative values skewing it counterclockwise. For example, transform: skew(20deg, 10deg); would skew an element 20 degrees along the x axis and 10 degrees along the y axis.
CSS Transforms can be combined to create complex transformations. This is done by listing multiple transformation functions within the transform property, separated by spaces. For example, transform: translate(50px, 100px) rotate(45deg) scale(1.5); would first move the element, then rotate it, and finally scale it.