改弦更張

Chinese

	to change; to alter; to transform to change; to alter; to transform; to correct	bow string; string of mus. instr.	to change; more; even more to change; more; even more; further; still; still more	(a measure word); surname; open up
trad. (改弦更張)	改	弦	更	張
simp. (改弦更张)	改	弦	更	张
Literally: “to re-tune the strings or re-string the instrument”.

Etymology

Originally, a metaphor with string instruments: 改弦 refers to the re-application of tuning, while 更張 means re-stringing the instrument altogether. The latter component has been attested as late as the Book of Han in a passage quoting verbatim from a letter by Dong Zhongshu to the Emperor Wu of Han [104 BCE]. The combined phrase in various forms was already familiar by the Jin era [c. 3rd century], for example, as 改絃易張 in the Records of the Three Kingdoms.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): gǎixiángēngzhāng

(Zhuyin): ㄍㄞˇ ㄒㄧㄢˊ ㄍㄥㄓㄤ
Cantonese (Jyutping): goi² jin⁴ gang¹ zoeng¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: gǎixiángēngzhāng
  - Zhuyin: ㄍㄞˇ ㄒㄧㄢˊ ㄍㄥㄓㄤ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: gǎisiángengjhang
  - Wade–Giles: kai³-hsien²-kêng¹-chang¹
  - Yale: gǎi-syán-gēng-jāng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: gaeshyangengjang
  - Palladius: гайсяньгэнчжан (gajsjanʹgɛnčžan)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ ɕjɛn³⁵ kɤŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: goi² jin⁴ gang¹ zoeng¹
  - Yale: gói yìhn gāng jēung
  - Cantonese Pinyin: goi² jin⁴ gang¹ dzoeng¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: goi² yin⁴ geng¹ zêng¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kɔːi̯³⁵ jiːn²¹ kɐŋ⁵⁵ t͡ʃœːŋ⁵⁵/

Idiom

改弦更張

to reform or revamp (a system or policy)

Synonyms

改弦易轍／改弦易辙 (gǎixiányìzhé)

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