改正

• Pinyin: gǎi zhèng
• Hanzi breakdown: 改 = 己 (self) + 攵 (action) — to change; 正 = 一 + 止 (stop) — straight, correct

Meaning

To correct; to amend; to put right. Fixing mistakes, errors, or bad habits.

Specifically used for correcting errors, mistakes, or undesirable behaviour. Common collocations include 改正错误 (correct mistakes) and 改正缺点 (correct shortcomings). Implies a conscious effort to change something wrong to something right.

Examples

1. 你应该改正自己的坏习惯。 You should correct your bad habits.
2. 老师帮他改正了作文中的错误。 The teacher helped him correct the errors in his essay.
3. 知道错了就应该马上改正。 Once you know you're wrong, you should correct it immediately.

Usage Guide

Context: education, everyday

Tone: corrective

Do Say

• 请把这句话中的错字改正过来。(Please correct the wrong characters in this sentence.)
• 犯了错误不可怕，重要的是及时改正。(Making mistakes is not scary; what matters is correcting them promptly.)

Don't Say

• 我改正了房间的位置 (Don't use 改正 for rearranging or relocating — use 调整 or 改变; 改正 is specifically for fixing errors or faults)

Origin & History

改 (to change) + 正 (correct/straight, from 一 line + 止 stop — stopping at the right place). To change something so it becomes correct.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal