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改过 (gǎi guò) — to correct one's mistakes

Definition

改过 means to correct one's past mistakes and mend one's ways — a more formal, self-reflective expression than simply saying 改正. Often used in the set phrase 勇于改过 ('have the courage to reform').

verb
to correct one's mistakes

Examples

  • 改过，。
    Tā jué dìng gǎi guò, chóng xīn kāi shǐ.
    He decided to correct his mistakes and start anew.
  • 改过，。
    Tā gǎi guò le yí cì, dàn hòu lái yòu fàn le.
    He corrected one mistake, but later made it again.
  • ，改过。
    Měi gè rén dōu huì fàn cuò, zhòng yào de shì yǒng yú gǎi guò.
    Everyone makes mistakes; what matters is having the courage to correct them.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

改gǎicorrect
过guòmistake

The sense of 改 as correcting applies to 过 as mistakes.

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
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì改gǎi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

An early form of 改 paired 巳 as a sound part with 攴 as a meaning part; the sound part later changed.

Open 改 →

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 →
Appears in
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