改

改	U+6539, 改 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6539

← 攸
[U+6538]

CJK Unified Ideographs

攺 →
[U+653A]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

改 (Kangxi radical 66, 攴+3, 7 strokes, cangjie input 尸山人大 (SUOK), four-corner 1874₀, composition ⿰己攵)

Derived characters

𠳚𢚲𢭮𣒵𦀻𦰦

References

KangXi: page 468, character 11

Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13114

Dae Jaweon: page 816, character 4

Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1450, character 1

Unihan data for U+6539

Chinese

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (己) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
改	*klɯːʔ
跽	*ɡrɯʔ
己	*kɯʔ
紀	*kɯʔ
妀	*kɯʔ
記	*kɯs
杞	*kʰɯʔ
屺	*kʰɯʔ
芑	*kʰɯʔ
邔	kʰɯʔ, ɡɯs
玘	*kʰɯʔ
忌	*ɡɯs
鵋	*ɡɯs
誋	*ɡɯs
梞	*ɡɯs

改 (in the form of 攺) from a Western-Han manuscript of the Yili in the clerical script.

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

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

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.		改
alternative forms		攺

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

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): gǎi (gai³)
(Zhuyin): ㄍㄞˇ
(Chengdu, SP): gai³
Cantonese
(Guangzhou, Jyutping): goi²
(Taishan, Wiktionary): goi²
Gan (Wiktionary): gai³
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): kói
(Meixian, Guangdong): goi³
Jin (Wiktionary): gai³
Min Bei (KCR): gǎi
Min Dong (BUC): guōi / gāi
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): kóe / ké / kái
(Teochew, Peng'im): goi²
Wu (Wiktionary): ke (T2)

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gǎi
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄞˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: gǎi
  - Wade–Giles: kai³
  - Yale: gǎi
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gae
  - Palladius: гай (gaj)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaɪ̯²¹⁴/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: gai³
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: gaai
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai⁵³/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: goi²
  - Yale: gói
  - Cantonese Pinyin: goi²
  - Guangdong Romanization: goi²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔːi̯³⁵/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: goi²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kᵘɔi⁵⁵/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: gai³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai²¹³/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kói
  - Hakka Romanization System: goi`
  - Hagfa Pinyim: goi³
  - Sinological IPA: /koi̯³¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: goi³
  - Sinological IPA: /koɪ³¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: gai³
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /kai⁴⁵/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gǎi
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kai²¹/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: guōi / gāi
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kui³³/, /kai³³/

Note:

guōi - vernacular;
gāi - literary.

Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Singapore)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kóe
  - Tâi-lô: kué
  - Phofsit Daibuun: koea
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /kue⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Xiamen): /kue⁵³/
  - IPA (Singapore): /kue⁴²/
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ké
  - Tâi-lô: ké
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kea
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /ke⁵³/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kái
  - Tâi-lô: kái
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kae
  - IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei): /kai⁵³/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /kai⁵⁵⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kai⁴¹/

Note:

Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Zhangzhou:
- kóe/ké - vernacular;
- kái - literary.

- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: goi²
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kói
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /koi⁵²/
Wu
- (Shanghainese)
  - Wiktionary: ke (T2)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ke̞³⁴/

Middle Chinese: /kʌi^X/

Rime
Character	改
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	見 (28)
Final (韻)	咍 (41)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	古亥切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʌi^X/
Pan Wuyun	/kəi^X/
Shao Rongfen	/kɒi^X/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kəj^X/
Li Rong	/kᴀi^X/
Wang Li	/kɒi^X/
Bernard Karlgren	/kɑ̆i^X/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	gǎi
Expected Cantonese Reflex	goi²

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*C.qˤəʔ/
(Zhengzhang): /*klɯːʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	改
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	gǎi
Middle Chinese	‹ koj^X ›
Old Chinese	/*C.qˁəʔ/
English	change (v.)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	改
Reading #	1/1
No.	5763
Phonetic component	己
Rime group	之
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	改
Old Chinese	/*klɯːʔ/

Definitions

改

to correct; to improve
to change; to transform; to alter; to modify
to mark; to correct; to grade (homework, an assignment, a test, etc.)
(Hokkien) to give up; to quit; to abstain from (a bad habit)
- 聽講你菸酒攏改啊 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad.]
  听讲你烟酒拢改啊 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp.]
  From: 2016, 詹雅雯, 酸酸
  Thiaⁿ-kóng lí hun-chiú lóng kái--ah [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]
  I heard you've quit smoking and drinking
a surname

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 戒 (“to give up; to quit”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		戒
Mandarin	Taiwan	戒
	Xi'an	戒
	Yangzhou	戒
Cantonese	Guangzhou	戒
Cantonese	Hong Kong	戒
Gan	Nanchang	戒
Hakka	Meixian	戒
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	戒
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	戒
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	戒
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	戒
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	戒
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	改
Huizhou	Jixi	戒
Min Nan	Xiamen	改
	Quanzhou	改
	Zhangzhou	改
	Tainan	改

Compounds

Derived terms from 改

不改
修改 (xiūgǎi)
和平改革
土地改革 (tǔdì gǎigé)
土改 (tǔgǎi)
宗教改革 (Zōngjiào Gǎigé)
悔改 (huǐgǎi)
悛改
批改 (pīgǎi)
擅改
改元 (gǎiyuán)
改判 (gǎipàn)
改制 (gǎizhì)
改削
改口 (gǎikǒu)
改名 (gǎimíng)
改名易姓
改善 (gǎishàn)
改嘴
改天 (gǎitiān)
改姓更名
改嫁 (gǎijià)
改定 (gǎidìng)
改容
改常
改建 (gǎijiàn)
改悔 (gǎihuǐ)
改扮 (gǎibàn)
改抹
改授
改掉 (gǎidiào)
改操
改新
改日 (gǎirì)
改易
改服
改期 (gǎiqī)
改次
改正 (gǎizhèng)
改步改玉
改版 (gǎibǎn)
改玉改行
改用 (gǎiyòng)
改稿
改良 (gǎiliáng)
改葬 (gǎizàng)
改行 (gǎiháng)
改貌
改造 (gǎizào)
改道 (gǎidào)
改醮
改面革心

改革 (gǎigé)
更名改姓
更改 (gēnggǎi)
朝令夕改 (zhāolìngxīgǎi)
朝令暮改
朝出夕改
朝更夕改
朝更暮改
朝行夕改
未改
校改 (jiàogǎi)
民主改革 (mínzhǔ gǎigé)
痛改前非 (tònggǎiqiánfēi)
篡改 (cuàngǎi)
釐改
面不改容 (miànbùgǎiróng)
面不改色 (miànbùgǎisè)
個性難改／个性难改
刪改／删改 (shāngǎi)
勞改／劳改 (láogǎi)
勞改場／劳改场
勞改營／劳改营 (láogǎiyíng)
品種改良／品种改良
塗改／涂改 (túgǎi)
屢教不改／屡教不改 (lǚjiàobùgǎi)
年深歲改／年深岁改
怙惡不改／怙恶不改
撥改貸／拨改贷
改俗遷風／改俗迁风
改則／改则 (Gǎizé)
改動／改动 (gǎidòng)
改名換姓／改名换姓 (gǎimínghuànxìng)
改土歸流／改土归流 (gǎitǔguīliú)
改天換地／改天换地
改妝／改妆
改容加飾／改容加饰
改寫／改写 (gǎixiě)
改弦易張／改弦易张
改弦易調／改弦易调
改弦易轍／改弦易辙 (gǎixiányìzhé)
改弦更張／改弦更张 (gǎixiángēngzhāng)
改張易調／改张易调
改惡向善／改恶向善
改惡從善／改恶从善 (gǎi'ècóngshàn)
改惡行善／改恶行善
改換／改换 (gǎihuàn)
改換家門／改换家门
改換門庭／改换门庭
改換門閭／改换门闾
改朝換代／改朝换代 (gǎicháohuàndài)
改業／改业
改歲／改岁

改稱／改称 (gǎichēng)
改竄／改窜 (gǎicuàn)
改節／改节
改組／改组 (gǎizǔ)
改編／改编 (gǎibiān)
改編劇本／改编剧本
改腔兒／改腔儿
改行遷善／改行迁善
改裝／改装 (gǎizhuāng)
改觀／改观 (gǎiguān)
改訂／改订 (gǎidìng)
改變／改变 (gǎibiàn)
改轅易轍／改辕易辙
改轍／改辙
改進／改进 (gǎijìn)
改運／改运 (gǎiyùn)
改過／改过 (gǎiguò)
改過不吝／改过不吝
改過向善／改过向善
改過從善／改过从善
改過從新／改过从新
改過自新／改过自新 (gǎiguòzìxīn)
改過遷善／改过迁善
改適／改适
改選／改选 (gǎixuǎn)
改邪歸正／改邪归正 (gǎixiéguīzhèng)
改錯／改错 (gǎicuò)
改錯題／改错题
改頭換面／改头换面
改顏／改颜
改點／改点
時移事改／时移事改
朝聞夕改／朝闻夕改
朝過夕改／朝过夕改
漢字改革／汉字改革
知過必改／知过必改
知錯能改／知错能改 (zhīcuònénggǎi)
社會改革／社会改革 (shèhuì gǎigé)
積習難改／积习难改 (jīxínángǎi)
竄改／窜改 (cuàngǎi)
經濟改革／经济改革
翻然改圖／翻然改图
變風改俗／变风改俗
農地改革／农地改革
農業改革／农业改革
過勿憚改／过勿惮改
過而能改／过而能改
遷善改過／迁善改过
醫林改錯／医林改错
風移俗改／风移俗改
風雨不改／风雨不改
體改／体改

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		改
alternative forms		介屆／届

Probably from Japanese 回(かい) (kai).

Pronunciation

Min Nan (POJ): kái

Min Nan
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kái
  - Tâi-lô: kái
  - Phofsit Daibuun: kae
  - IPA (Taipei): /kai⁵³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /kai⁴¹/

Definitions

改

(Taiwanese Hokkien) Classifier for times, as in frequency.

Japanese

Kanji

改

(grade 4 “Kyōiku” kanji)

reform
correct
change

Readings

Go-on: かい (kai, Jōyō)
Kan-on: かい (kai, Jōyō)
Kun: あらためる (aratameru, 改める, Jōyō); あらたまる (aratamaru, 改まる, Jōyō)
Nanori: あら (ara)

Compounds

改悪
改易
改悔
改革
改旧
改玉
改元
改寤
改号
改刪
改宗
改修
改春
改心
改進
改正
改姓
改善
改装
改葬
改造
改定
改訂
改轍
改容
改暦

Etymology

Kanji in this term
改
かい Grade: 4
on’yomi

From Middle Chinese 改 (MC kʌi^X).

Pronunciation

On’yomi

IPA^(key): [ka̠i]

Affix

改(かい) • (kai)

change; modify; reform

Suffix

改(かい) • (-kai)

revision
revised, modified
チヌ改(かい)
chi-nu-kai
Chi-Nu Kai
装輪装甲車(そうりんそうこうしゃ)（改(かい)）
sōrin-sōkō-sha (kai)
Wheeled Armoured Vehicle (Improved)

Korean

Hanja

改 (eumhun 고칠 개 (gochil gae))

Hanja form^? of 개 (“reform; fix”).

Compounds

개혁 (改革, gaehyeok, “reform”)

Vietnamese

Han character

改: Hán Nôm readings: cải, cãi, gởi, gửi

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.