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改良 (gǎi liáng) — to improve (soil, a variety, a system, etc.); to reform; improvement; refinement

Definition

改良 is a transitive verb meaning to improve something by deliberately changing it (a variety, a system, soil). Unlike 改进, it implies modifying the thing itself, and is broader than 改革, which is reserved for major political or institutional reform.

verb
to improve (soil, a variety, a system, etc.)to reformimprovementrefinement

Examples

  • 改良。
    Nóng mín yòng xīn fāng fǎ gǎi liáng le tǔ rǎng.
    Farmers improved the soil with new methods.
  • 改良，。
    Zhè ge pǐn zhǒng jīng guò duō cì gǎi liáng, chǎn liàng gèng gāo le.
    After many improvements, this variety has a higher yield.
  • 改良。
    Gōng sī jì huà gǎi liáng xiàn yǒu de guǎn lǐ xì tǒng.
    The company plans to reform the current management system.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

改gǎichange
良liánggood

改 means change and 良 means good, so 改良 is changing something into a better form.

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 →

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

良 possibly depicts corridors and a room.

Open 良 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Change & Process

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