悔过自新 (huǐ guò zì xīn) — to repent and make a fresh start; to turn over a new leaf

Definition

Formal chengyu meaning to sincerely regret one's wrongdoing and begin life anew. Typically used for serious offenders or moral failings, not casual mistakes.

idiom
to repent and make a fresh startto turn over a new leaf

Examples

  • ，悔过自新，。
    Tā fàn le cuò wù, dàn yuàn yì huǐ guò zì xīn, wǒ men yīng gāi gěi tā yí cì jī huì.
    He made a mistake but is willing to repent and start anew; we should give him a chance.
  • 悔过自新，。
    Fǎ lǜ gǔ lì zuì fàn huǐ guò zì xīn, chóng xīn zuò rén.
    The law encourages criminals to repent and turn over a new leaf.
  • 悔过自新，。
    huǐ guò zì xīn Bù jǐn xū yào huǐ yì, gèng xū yào shí jì xíng dòng.
    Repenting and starting anew requires not just remorse but also concrete action.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

悔过repent faults
悔huǐrepent过guòfault
动宾Verb + object
自新make oneself new
自zìself新xīnnew
主谓Subject + predicate

悔过 means repenting faults, and 自新 means making oneself new; together they describe turning over a new leaf.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
每
每měi悔huǐ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

悔 pairs 忄, the heart part, with 每, which gives a sound hint.

Open 悔 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 過; 过 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
咼
咼wāi過guò
Same sound today

The traditional form 過 pairs 辵 (walk) with 咼 as a sound component; the simplified 过 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 过 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

自 originally drew a nose. It was borrowed purely for its sound to write 自, so the picture and the meaning are unrelated.

Open 自 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

假借jiǎjièLater borrowed for its sound alone — the picture has nothing to do with today’s meaning.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn新xīn
Same sound today

The shape originally paired 斤, for chopping wood, with 辛 for sound. It was borrowed for its sound to write 新, so the chopping-wood parts are unrelated to 'new'.

Open 新 →

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