DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

痛改前非

Mandarin · pinyin tòng gǎi qián fēi

completely correcting one's former misdeeds (idiom); to repent past mistakes and turn over a new leaf
a reformed character

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Characters in this entry

痛: tòng · pain, ache; sorry, sad; bitter
改: gǎi · change, alter; improve, remodel
前: qián · in front, forward; preceding
非: fēi · not, negative, non-; oppose; Kangxi radical 175

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–3–2–1 · tong4 gai3 qian2 fei1

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

tung3 goi2 cin4 fei1

Cantonese word readings for 痛改前非. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to sincerely mend one's ways; to thoroughly rectify one's errors; to turn over a new leaf

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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