TongTong
Sign in

改邪归正 (gǎi xié guī zhèng) — to mend one's ways; to turn over a new leaf (idiom)

Definition

A chengyu meaning to give up wrongdoing and return to a righteous life — 'to mend one's ways, turn over a new leaf.' Used for people (not things) who change from bad to good behavior.

phrase
to mend one's waysto turn over a new leaf (idiom)

Examples

  • ，改邪归正。
    Xié lù bù xíng, gǎi xié guī zhèng cái shì zhèng dào.
    The wrong path won't work; mending one's ways is the right path.
  • ，改邪归正，。
    Jīng guò jiào yù, tā zhōng yú gǎi xié guī zhèng, kāi shǐ nǔ lì gōng zuò.
    After education, he finally turned over a new leaf and started working hard.
  • 改邪归正，。
    Dà jiā dōu xī wàng tā néng gǎi xié guī zhèng, chóng xīn kāi shǐ shēng huó.
    Everyone hopes he can mend his ways and start a new life.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

改邪change evil
改gǎichange邪xiéevil
动宾Verb + object
归正return to correctness
归guīreturn正zhèngcorrectness
动宾Verb + object

Changing 邪 (evil) and returning to 正 (correctness) describes mending one's ways.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
邑邑yìtown; city
Sound part声符shēngfú
牙
牙yá邪xié
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

邪 puts 牙 beside 邑 (town; city): 牙 gives the sound, and 邑 shows it was first used in a place name. It was later used for strange or evil meanings.

Open 邪 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 歸; 归 is its simplified writing.

  • 𠂤𠂤𠂤ancient form of {{zh-l|*師|troops}}
  • 帚帚zhǒubroom; sweep

The traditional form 歸 combines 𠂤 (troops) and 帚 (broom; sweep) to show sweeping away an enemy and returning; the simplified 归 is a later abbreviation.

Open 归 →

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
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng正zhèng
Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 gives the sound.

Open 正 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Change & ProcessIdioms & Set Phrases

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