改邪归正 (gǎi xié guī zhèng)

Character breakdown

• 改 (gǎi) · 7 strokes

  Phonosemantic compound. 攵 represents the meaning and 己 represents the sound.

• 邪 (xié) · 6 strokes

  Phonosemantic compound. 牙 represents the sound and ⻏ represents the meaning. Based on the original use as a place name. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

• 归 (Guī) · 5 strokes

  Simplified form of 歸. Phonosemantic compound. 𠂤 represents the sound while 止 and 帚 represent the meaning.

• 正 (zhēng) · 5 strokes

  Depicts a foot (止) going out towards city walls (丁). 丁 also represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "to attack (an enemy)", now written as 征. The meaning of this character has shifted over…

Usage

他决心改邪归正，重新做人。

to mend one's ways (idiom); to turn over a new leaf

tā jué xīn gǎi xié guī zhèng ， chóng xīn zuò rén 。