Chinese word

改过

Pronunciation

Pinyingǎi guò

Meaning

  • verbmend one's ways

Example

他答应改过，不会再犯了。tā dā yìng gǎi guò bú huì zài fàn le

He promised to mend his ways and not do it again.

Illustration for 改过 (mend one's ways)

More examples

虽然犯了错，他现在已经改过，态度更好了。suī rán fàn le cuò tā xiàn zài yǐ jīng gǎi guò tài dù gèng hǎo le

Although he made a mistake, he has now mended his ways, and his attitude is better.

Core concept

A person turns back from a wrong course and changes conduct to avoid repeating a fault.

Common phrases

  • 已经改过yǐ jīng gǎi guò

    have already mended one's ways

  • 难以改过nán yǐ gǎi guò

    be hard to mend one's ways

Similar words

认错rèn cuò: To acknowledge one's own mistake or wrongdoing.
道歉dào qiàn: To apologize to someone and seek forgiveness.
改正gǎi zhèng: To fix an error or shortcoming so that it is correct.

Definition in Chinese

从认知和行为上纠正缺点或错误，常含悔改之意。cóng rèn zhī hé xíng wéi shàng jiū zhèng quē diǎn huò cuò wù cháng hán huí gǎi zhī yì

Word origin

改过 (gǎiguò, "mend one's ways") combines 改 (gǎi, "correct") with 过 (guò, "fault"), linking correction with a past mistake.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may hear its closest equivalent as religious or formal, but this Chinese verb fits ordinary personal mistakes in secular conversation.

Other meanings

  • repentverb

Related words

Word lists with this word