改选 (gǎi xuǎn) — to reelect; to hold another election

Definition

verb
to reelectto hold another election
Easily confused

Examples

  • 改选。
    Xià ge yuè xué shēng huì yào gǎi xuǎn zhǔ xí.
    Next month the student council will reelect the chairperson.
  • 改选。
    Dǒng shì huì jué dìng gǎi xuǎn yí wèi xīn de fù zǒng cái.
    The board decided to hold another election for a new vice president.
  • 改选。
    Zhè cì gǎi xuǎn de jié guǒ chū hū suǒ yǒu rén de yì liào.
    The result of this reelection surprised everyone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

改gǎichange/re-
选xuǎnelect

改 (change/re-) specifies 选 (elect), meaning elect again.

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 選; 选 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
巽
巽xùn選xuǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 選 combines 止 with 巽, which gives the sound xùn; its sense of choosing is explained as rejecting or sending someone back. Simplified 选 is a shorthand.

Open 选 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.