# 改

| 改 | U+6539, &#25913; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6539 |
| ← 攸 [U+6538] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 攺 → [U+653A] |

## Translingual
### Han character

改 (Kangxi radical 66, 攴+3, 7 strokes, cangjie input 尸山人大 (SUOK), four-corner 1874$_0$, composition ⿰己攵)

#### Derived characters

* 𠳚, 𢚲, 𢭮, 𫼿, 𭦔, 𣒵, 𦀻, 𫏍, 𱑑, 𫿐, 𲂶, 𦰦, 𥦄, 𢚢

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 468, character 11
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13114
* Dae Jaweon: page 816, character 4
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1450, character 1
* Unihan data for U+6539

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 改 :
| Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) |
| Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
| | Old Chinese |
| 改 | *klɯːʔ |
| 跽 | *ɡrɯʔ |
| 己 | *kɯʔ |
| 紀 | *kɯʔ |
| 妀 | *kɯʔ |
| 記 | *kɯs |
| 杞 | *kʰɯʔ |
| 屺 | *kʰɯʔ |
| 芑 | *kʰɯʔ |
| 邔 | *kʰɯʔ, *ɡɯs |
| 玘 | *kʰɯʔ |
| 忌 | *ɡɯs |
| 鵋 | *ɡɯs |
| 誋 | *ɡɯs |
| 梞 | *ɡɯs |
In the oracle bone script, a phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *klɯːʔ): phonetic 巳 (OC *ljɯʔ, *lɯs) + semantic 攴.
The interpretation linked to a child beaten or threathened by a stick in hand to indicate "correct, amend" referred to educating a child is probably folk etymology.
Since the small seal script, the phonetic component has been changed to 己 (OC *kɯʔ).

### Etymology 1

Related to 革 (OC *krɯːɡ, “to change”), 更 (OC *kraːŋ, “to change”) (Wang, 1982).

#### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): gǎi (gai$^3$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄍㄞˇ
    (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): gai$^3$
    (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): gài
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): goi$^2$
    (Dongguan, Jyutping++): gui$^2$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): goi$^2$
* Gan (Wiktionary): gai$^3$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): kói
    (Hailu, HRS): goi$^ˊ$
    (Meixian, Guangdong): goi$^3$
* Jin (Wiktionary): gai$^3$
* Northern Min (KCR): gǎi
* Eastern Min (BUC): guōi / gāi
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): gai$^3$ / goe$^3$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): kái / kóe / ké
    (Teochew, Peng'im): goi$^2$
    (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): gai$^2$ / goi$^2$
* Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): gaai$^2$
* Wu (Wugniu)
** (Northern): $^5$ke / $^3$ke / $^3$kae / $^3$kai
** (Jinhua): $^3$kae
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): gai$^3$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: gǎi
*** Zhuyin: ㄍㄞˇ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: gǎi
*** Wade–Giles: kai$^3$
*** Yale: gǎi
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gae
*** Palladius: гай (gaj)
*** Sinological IPA : /kaɪ̯²¹⁴/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: gai$^3$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: gaai
*** Sinological IPA : /kai⁵³/
** (Xi'an)
*** Guanzhong Pinyin: gài
*** Sinological IPA : /kæ⁵³/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: goi$^2$
*** Yale: gói
*** Cantonese Pinyin: goi$^2$
*** Guangdong Romanization: goi$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /kɔːi̯³⁵/
** (Dongguan, Guancheng)
*** Jyutping++: gui$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /kui³⁵/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: goi$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /kᵘɔi⁵⁵/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: gai$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /kai²¹³/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kói
*** Hakka Romanization System: goi$^ˋ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: goi$^3$
*** Sinological IPA: /koi̯³¹/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: goi$^ˊ$
*** Sinological IPA: /koi²⁴/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: goi$^3$
*** Sinological IPA: /koɪ³¹/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: gai$^3$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /kai⁴⁵/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: gǎi
*** Sinological IPA : /kai²¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: guōi / gāi
*** Sinological IPA : /kui³³/, /kai³³/
* guōi - vernacular;
* gāi - literary.
* Middle Chinese: kojX
Rime :
| Character | 改 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 見 (28) |
| Final (韻) | 咍 (41) |
| Tone (調) | Rising (X) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | I |
| Fanqie | 古亥切 |
| Baxter | kojX |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /kʌi$^X$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /kəi$^X$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /kɒi$^X$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /kəj$^X$/ |
| Li Rong | /kᴀi$^X$/ |
| Wang Li | /kɒi$^X$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /kɑ̆i$^X$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | gǎi |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | goi$^2$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*C.qˤəʔ/
    (Zhengzhang): /*klɯːʔ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 改 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | gǎi |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ koj$^X$ › |
| Old Chinese | /*C.qˁəʔ/ |
| English | change (v.) |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 改 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 5763 |
| Phonetic component | 己 |
| Rime group | 之 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 改 |
| Old Chinese | /*klɯːʔ/ |

#### Definitions

改
* to change; to transform; to alter; to modify
* to correct; to improve
* to mark; to correct; to grade (homework, an assignment, a test, etc.)
* (Hokkien) to give up; to quit; to abstain from (a bad habit)
    From: 2016, 詹雅雯, 酸酸
    Thiaⁿ-káng lí hun-chiú lóng kái--ah [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]
    I heard you've quit smoking and drinking
* a surname

##### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 戒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 戒 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 戒 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 戒 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 戒 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 戒 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 戒 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 戒 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 戒 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 戒 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 戒 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 戒 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 戒 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 戒 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 改 |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 戒 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 改 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 改 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 改 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 改 |

#### Compounds

* 不改
* 個性難改 / 个性难改
* 修改 (xiūgǎi)
* 刪改 / 删改 (shāngǎi)
* 勞改 / 劳改 (láogǎi)
* 勞改場 / 劳改场
* 勞改營 / 劳改营 (láogǎiyíng)
* 和平改革
* 品種改良 / 品种改良
* 土地改革 (tǔdì gǎigé)
* 土改 (tǔgǎi)
* 塗改 / 涂改 (túgǎi)
* 宗教改革 (Zōngjiào Gǎigé)
* 屢教不改 / 屡教不改 (lǚjiàobùgǎi)
* 年深歲改 / 年深岁改
* 怙惡不改 / 怙恶不改
* 悔改 (huǐgǎi)
* 悛改
* 批改 (pīgǎi)
* 撥改貸 / 拨改贷
* 擅改
* 改俗遷風 / 改俗迁风
* 改元 (gǎiyuán)
* 改判 (gǎipàn)
* 改制 (gǎizhì)
* 改削
* 改則 / 改则 (Gǎizé)
* 改動 / 改动 (gǎidòng)
* 改口 (gǎikǒu)
* 改名 (gǎimíng)
* 改名換姓 / 改名换姓 (gǎimínghuànxìng)
* 改名易姓 (gǎimíng yìxìng)
* 改善 (gǎishàn)
* 改嘴
* 改圖 / 改图 (gǎitú)
* 改土歸流 / 改土归流 (gǎitǔguīliú)
* 改天 (gǎitiān)
* 改天換地 / 改天换地
* 改妝 / 改妆
* 改姓更名 (gǎixìng gēngmíng)
* 改嫁 (gǎijià)
* 改定 (gǎidìng)
* 改容
* 改容加飾 / 改容加饰
* 改寫 / 改写 (gǎixiě)
* 改常
* 改建 (gǎijiàn)
* 改弦易張 / 改弦易张
* 改弦易調 / 改弦易调
* 改弦易轍 / 改弦易辙 (gǎixiányìzhé)
* 改弦更張 / 改弦更张 (gǎixiángēngzhāng)
* 改張易調 / 改张易调
* 改悔 (gǎihuǐ)
* 改惡向善 / 改恶向善
* 改惡從善 / 改恶从善 (gǎi'ècóngshàn)
* 改惡行善 / 改恶行善
* 改扮 (gǎibàn)
* 改抹
* 改授
* 改掉 (gǎidiào)
* 改換 / 改换 (gǎihuàn)
* 改換家門 / 改换家门
* 改換門庭 / 改换门庭
* 改換門閭 / 改换门闾
* 改操
* 改新
* 改日 (gǎirì)
* 改易 (gǎiyì)
* 改服
* 改期 (gǎiqī)
* 改朝換代 / 改朝换代 (gǎicháohuàndài)
* 改業 / 改业
* 改次
* 改正 (gǎizhèng)
* 改步改玉
* 改歲 / 改岁
* 改版 (gǎibǎn)
* 改玉改行
* 改用 (gǎiyòng)
* 改稱 / 改称 (gǎichēng)
* 改稿
* 改竄 / 改窜 (gǎicuàn)
* 改節 / 改节
* 改組 / 改组 (gǎizǔ)
* 改編 / 改编 (gǎibiān)
* 改編劇本 / 改编剧本
* 改腔兒 / 改腔儿
* 改良 (gǎiliáng)
* 改葬 (gǎizàng)
* 改行
* 改行遷善 / 改行迁善
* 改裝 / 改装 (gǎizhuāng)
* 改觀 / 改观 (gǎiguān)
* 改訂 / 改订 (gǎidìng)
* 改變 / 改变 (gǎibiàn)
* 改貌
* 改轅易轍 / 改辕易辙
* 改轍 / 改辙
* 改造 (gǎizào)
* 改進 / 改进 (gǎijìn)
* 改運 / 改运 (gǎiyùn)
* 改過 / 改过 (gǎiguò)
* 改道 (gǎidào)
* 改過不吝 / 改过不吝
* 改過向善 / 改过向善
* 改過從善 / 改过从善
* 改過從新 / 改过从新
* 改過自新 / 改过自新 (gǎiguòzìxīn)
* 改過遷善 / 改过迁善
* 改適 / 改适
* 改選 / 改选 (gǎixuǎn)
* 改邪歸正 / 改邪归正 (gǎixiéguīzhèng)
* 改醮
* 改錯 / 改错 (gǎicuò)
* 改錯題 / 改错题
* 改面革心
* 改革 (gǎigé)
* 改頭換面 / 改头换面 (gǎitóuhuànmiàn)
* 改顏 / 改颜
* 改點 / 改点
* 時移事改 / 时移事改
* 更名改姓 (gēngmíng gǎixìng)
* 更改 (gēnggǎi)
* 朝令夕改 (zhāolìngxīgǎi)
* 朝令暮改
* 朝出夕改
* 朝更夕改 (zhāogēngxīgǎi)
* 朝更暮改 (zhāogēngmùgǎi)
* 朝聞夕改 / 朝闻夕改
* 朝行夕改
* 朝過夕改 / 朝过夕改
* 未改
* 校改 (jiàogǎi)
* 民主改革 (mínzhǔ gǎigé)
* 漢字改革 / 汉字改革
* 痛改前非 (tònggǎiqiánfēi)
* 知過必改 / 知过必改
* 知錯能改 / 知错能改 (zhīcuònénggǎi)
* 社會改革 / 社会改革 (shèhuì gǎigé)
* 積習難改 / 积习难改 (jīxínángǎi)
* 竄改 / 窜改 (cuàngǎi)
* 篡改 (cuàngǎi)
* 經濟改革 / 经济改革
* 翻然改圖 / 翻然改图
* 變風改俗 / 变风改俗
* 農地改革 / 农地改革
* 農業改革 / 农业改革
* 過勿憚改 / 过勿惮改
* 過而能改 / 过而能改
* 遷善改過 / 迁善改过
* 醫林改錯 / 医林改错
* 釐改
* 面不改容 (miànbùgǎiróng)
* 面不改色 (miànbùgǎisè)
* 風移俗改 / 风移俗改
* 風雨不改 / 风雨不改
* 體改 / 体改

### Etymology 2

Probably from Japanese 回(かい) (kai).

#### Pronunciation

* Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): kái
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kái
*** Tâi-lô: kái
*** Phofsit Daibuun: kae
*** IPA (Taipei): /kai⁵³/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /kai⁴¹/

#### Definitions

改
* (Taiwanese Hokkien) Classifier for times, as in frequency.

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)
* reform
* correct
* change

#### Readings

* Go-on: かい (kai, Jōyō)
* Kan-on: かい (kai, Jōyō)
* Kun: あらためる (aratameru, 改める, Jōyō)、あらたまる (aratamaru, 改まる, Jōyō)
* Nanori: あら (ara)

#### Compounds

* 改悪(かいあく) (kaiaku)
* 改案(かいあん) (kaian)
* 改印(かいいん) (kaīn)
* 改易(かいえき) (kaieki)
* 改悔(かいげ) (kaige)
* 改革(かいかく) (kaikaku)
* 改行(かいぎょう) (kaigyō)
* 改憲(かいけん) (kaiken)
* 改元(かいげん) (kaigen)
* 改稿(かいこう) (kaikō)
* 改悟(かいご) (kaigo)
* 改号(かいごう) (kaigō)
* 改刪(かいさん) (kaisan)
* 改作(かいさく) (kaisaku)
* 改札(かいさつ) (kaisatsu)
* 改竄(かいざん) (kaizan)
* 改宗(かいしゅう) (kaishū)
* 改修(かいしゅう) (kaishū)
* 改春(かいしゅん) (kaishun)
* 改悛(かいしゅん) (kaishun)
* 改称(かいしょう) (kaishō)
* 改新(かいしん) (kaishin)
* 改心(かいしん) (kaishin)
* 改進(かいしん) (kaishin)
* 改正(かいせい) (kaisei)
* 改姓(かいせい) (kaisei)
* 改製(かいせい) (kaisei)
* 改選(かいせん) (kaisen)
* 改善(かいぜん) (kaizen)
* 改組(かいそ) (kaiso)
* 改装(かいそう) (kaisō)
* 改葬(かいそう) (kaisō)
* 改造(かいぞう) (kaizō)
* 改題(かいだい) (kaidai)
* 改築(かいちく) (kaichiku)
* 改鋳(かいちゅう) (kaichū)
* 改定(かいてい) (kaitei)
* 改訂(かいてい) (kaitei)
* 改廃(かいはい) (kaihai)
* 改変(かいへん) (kaihen)
* 改編(かいへん) (kaihen)
* 改名(かいめい) (kaimei)
* 改訳(かいやく) (kaiyaku)
* 改暦(かいれき) (kaireki)
* 改良(かいりょう) (kairyō)
* 変改(へんかい) (henkai)

### Etymology

* Kanji in this term
* 改
* かい Grade: 4
* on'yomi
From Middle Chinese 改 (MC kojX).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ka̠i]

### Affix

改(かい) • (kai)
* change; modify; reform

### Suffix

改(かい) • (-kai)
* revision
* revised, modified
    チヌ改(かい)
       chi-nu-kai
       Chi-Nu Kai
    装輪装甲車(そうりんそうこうしゃ)（改(かい)）
       sōrin-sōkō-sha (kai)
       Wheeled Armoured Vehicle (Improved)

## Korean
### Hanja

改 (eumhun 고칠 개 (gochil gae))
* hanja form of 개 (“reform; fix”)

#### Compounds

* 개혁 (改革, gaehyeok, “reform”)

## Vietnamese
### Han character

改: Hán Nôm readings: cải, cãi, gởi, gửi
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.