改

Intentional alteration via deliberate intervention to modify, correct, or update an existing state. This includes:

• Corrective/Reformative: Rectifying errors, amending laws, or reforming behavior (including repentance).
• Physical Alteration: Remodeling tangible objects, such as buildings, garments, or calendar dates.
• Administrative/Formal: The formal changing of titles, era names, or administrative boundaries.

Primarily a transitive verb requiring an object. In instances where no object is present, it may function as shorthand for reforming oneself or rely on the immediate preceding context.

Tang-period reading: *gə̌i; Fanqie reading: 古亥.

Avoid the "improvement trap." While frequently translated as "improve," 改 denotes change with intent, which is not always an objective upgrade; it may simply represent a shift in direction or a perceived need for correction.