改弦更张

改弦更張
gǎixián-gēngzhāng
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to change the strings and retune
  2. 2 to change course decisively; to reform; to start afresh

Examples

HSK 6
Jiù fāngfǎ xíngbùtōng, bìxū gǎixián-gēngzhāng.
The old method isn't working - we need to change course entirely.
HSK 7-9
Gōngsī jīngyíng bùshàn, shì shíhòu gǎixián-gēngzhāng le.
The company is poorly run - time to change tack.

Tips

history
Dong Zhongshu's memorial in 《汉书·董仲舒传》 (Han): "compare it to an out-of-tune lute - in serious cases you must take it apart and restring it before it can be played again." His case for Han dynasty reform; now any decisive course change.
mistakes
here reads gēng ("to change; replace"), not gèng ("even more"). Same character, different reading - think "re-" as in "re-new".

Stroke Order

gǎi
xián
gèng
zhāng