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Etymology data from Wiktionary via Wiktextract (CC BY-SA 4.0). Chinese character data from the 說文解字, the Taiwan MOE 國語辭典簡編本 (CC BY-ND 3.0 TW) and HSK/TOCFL lists.

Explanations are written by a local model (gemma4) and only published after a verification pass against the cited sources. How it works.

Chinese

改

gǎi
to change; to transform; to alter; to modify
  • Phono-semantic compound 形聲
  • HSK 2
  • TOCFL 4
  • radical 攴
  • 7 strokes
  • 屆
  • 届

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Origin

Etymology 1

In the oracle bone script, a phono-semantic compound (形聲 /形声, OC *klɯːʔ): phonetic 巳 (OC *ljɯʔ, *lɯs) + semantic 攴.

The interpretation linked to a child beaten or threatened by a stick in hand to indicate "correct, amend" referred to educating a child is probably folk etymology.

Since the small seal script, the phonetic component has been changed to 己 (OC *kɯʔ).

Related to 革 (OC *krɯːɡ, “to change”), 更 (OC *kraːŋ, “to change”) (Wang, 1982).

Etymology 2

Probably from Japanese 回(かい) (kai).

From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Lineage

  • soundChinese巳 “sixth of twelve earthly branches (十二支 (shí'èrzhī))”
  • meaningChinese攴 “to hit lightly; to tap”
  • derived (possibly)Japanese回

Words built on it: 修改, 改善, 改造, 改革

Meanings

character
  1. to change; to transform; to alter; to modify
  2. to correct; to improve
  3. to mark; to correct; to grade (homework, an assignment, a test, etc.)
  4. to come up with (a name)
  5. to give up; to quit; to abstain from (a bad habit)
  6. a surname

Shuowen Jiezi 說文解字

改：更也。从攴、己。李陽冰曰：“已有過，攴之卽改。”

Xu Shen, c. 100 CE — the first analytical dictionary of Chinese characters.

國語辭典 definitions

  1. 變更、修正。 例：更改、批改、朝令夕改

© Ministry of Education, Taiwan — CC BY-ND 3.0 TW, shown unaltered.

How 改 was written 字形演變

  1. 改 in Oracle bone script
    Oracle bone
    甲骨文
    Shang, c. 1250–1050 BCE
  2. 改 in Bronze script
    Bronze
    金文
    Shang–Zhou
  3. 改 in Chu slips & silk script
    Chu slips & silk
    楚系簡帛
    Warring States
  4. 改 in Small seal script
    Small seal
    說文小篆
    Shuowen, c. 100 CE
  5. 改 in Regular script
    Regular
    楷書
    since c. 200 CE

Historical forms collected by the legacy etymfun dataset; most characters have several attested variants.

Sources

  • Historical glyph forms (zdic.net 字形演变) — Rights unverified
  • HSK / TOCFL word lists — Facts (levels)
  • 教育部《國語辭典簡編本》 (Taiwan MOE) — CC BY-ND 3.0 TW
  • 說文解字 Shuowen Jiezi (Xu Shen, c. 100 CE) — Public domain
  • Written form — n/a
  • Wiktionary (via Wiktextract / kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Wiktionary: 改